Lady in Red 3: Deal with the Devil
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: Selina reunites with her mother, and Katherine returns to Mystic falls. She and Tyler make a plot to use magic so that he and Selina will be together forever. It's like 1864 all over again! DamonXOC
1. Meeting the Devil

Disclaimer: Only original characters and situations belong to me.

The sky was cloudy overhead and little droplets of rain were starting to fall on the windshield of Tyler's truck. That was what motivated him to pick up the young woman who was standing on the side of the road. She wasn't really doing much of anything, not even technically thumbing a ride. She was just standing there, watching him.

He didn't usually stop to pick up people who needed rides. His parents had given him very stern and precise lectures about that, but since they weren't around, he didn't see the harm in disobeying the lectures just this once. He drove up beside her and stopped. Rolling down his window, he gave her a grin. "Hey," he told her. "What are you doing out here by yourself? Do you need a ride back to town? Your aunt's probably worried about you."

The girl gazed at him oddly, as if she didn't know him. Then, her face smoothed out into a grin. "Thank you," she said. "I would love a ride back to town."

She got into his car and he began driving. "So," he said after a moment, "what _are_ you doing out here?"

She turned to look at him and he took his eyes off the road for a moment to return her gaze. "I'm not who you think I am," she said.

He smirked and shook his head. "That's a good one, Elena. Of course you are. Do you want me to take you home?"

"You're not listening!" Her voice rose to an almost deafening pitch, and the hand she clamped on his wrist had a grip like iron. The car swerved, but Tyler managed to keep it on course without crashing into anything. He drove the car onto the shoulder and stopped. "What's going on?" he asked her.

She just gave him another grin. "Keep driving," she whispered in his ear. "I'll tell you when we get into town."

They drove the rest of the way in silence. The young woman directed him to park in front of the Grill. When they entered, everyone gave them strange looks, but she ignored them and took a seat at a booth in the corner.

"Answer time," Tyler said. "If you're not Elena, who are you?"

She leaned forward and looked deeply in his eyes. "You know who I am," she told him. "You just can't make yourself believe it. If it weren't for me, your grandfather Michael would have just been an ordinary married man. I made him more."

"Katherine?" Tyler got out after a moment. "Katherine Pierce?"

"Yes," the girl nodded. "See, I knew you knew."

Tyler cast a hunted look around him, then he turned back to her. "How are you here?" he asked. "And why?"

She shrugged. "That has yet to be seen precisely, but I know I'll be able to have fun somehow. And I'm here because you brought me."

"Uh, yeah, well. You're welcome." He got up as if to leave.

"Where are _you_ going?" she asked.

Tyler turned slightly. "Just somewhere, I didn't have a specific place in mind."

"Sit!" she ordered.

He sat.

"I want to reward you for bringing me here," she said. "I don't suppose there's anything you want that you currently don't or can't have."

He thought a moment. "There _is_ one thing. Or person, rather, that I want. But you can't get me her."

Katherine looked at him skeptically. "_You_ have trouble getting girls?" she asked. "I find that hard to believe."

"Well, Selina's not just any girl and—"

"Oh, my God!" Katherine said, leaning back. "Selina? You can have any girl in the world and you want my _sister_?" she exhaled lustily. "You and Michael. I didn't understand it then and I don't understand it now."

"Well, it's no use anyway, now that she's married and everything."

Katherine's expression changed. "Married?" she asked. "Who's Selina married to?"

"Damon Salvatore," Tyler said moodily, looking away. "They ran off to Vegas last week and now everything's legal and nothing can be done about it."

Katherine's eyes widened. "Selina married Damon Salvatore?"

"Yeah," Tyler replied. "You hate the idea too?"

"Of course," Katherine said.

Tyler sighed. "My father says she's happy, and I know I should just be able to accept that if I really liked her, but I don't want to."

"You think Selina would be better off with you," Katherine said. "Just like Michael did."

"No," Tyler said simply. "It's just that I like her, and having her with me would make _me_ happy."

"Oh," Katherine said. "So Selina's feelings have absolutely nothing to do with this. Instead, it's all about how you feel. You want to make her miserable just to satisfy your own selfish whims."

"Is that bad?" he asked.

Katherine smiled again and ran her fingers through his hair. "Of course not," she said. "I just wanted to be absolutely certain of what I was getting into."

"Can you help me?" he asked.

"Of course I can," she assured him. "And I'd be more than happy too. Just meet me at Dr. Stensrund's old house at eight o'clock tonight."

* * *

_The carriage bumped over the ruts on the water-soaked and muddy road, but she didn't mind. She looked fondly down at the locket. It had finally happened. Despite the interferences of Louisa Forbes (among other girls), Damon had finally given her something to show his intention to marry her._

_She wasn't surprised, of course. She'd known forever that they were going to be married. And she'd hated all the waiting. With a sudden jolt, the carriage came to a stop in front of her mother's house. A few minutes later, the carriage driver came around and opened the door for her, helping her out. She thanked him, and as he sped away, Mama came running toward her._

"_I'm so glad you're here!" her mother cried, throwing her arms around her. "It's been ages since I've been able to get over to the Salvatores'. How are you? Are you all right? Is something wrong?" She pushed her daughter away gently and looked her over. "You seem all right," she said._

"_Yes, Mama. I'm fine." She nodded and gently unclasped the locket. "I'm also engaged."_

"_What?" her mother asked. "When did this happen?" she took the locket from her daughter and looked it over. "Is this solid silver?" she said to herself. "I think it is."_

"_It happened just a few days ago, Mama." She said. "The same day he told me he's signed up at the recruitment office."_

"_Damon's decided to go and fight the Yankees?" her mother asked. "Good for him. I'm certain his father is very proud."_

"_Oh, yes," she nodded. "He is." She looked around. "Mama, can we go inside? It looks like it's going to start raining again."_

"_Of course dear," her mother said. "I'm sorry." She followed her mother inside. And they sat at the kitchen table. Her mother brought coffees, and they drank them in silence. Finally, her mother said "are you worried?"_

"_No," she shook her head. "Why should I be worried?" she paused. "Is it because of what happened to Papa?" she asked. "Are you afraid that Damon's going to go off to war and die and I won't be able to be married after all?"_

"_I'm saying it's a definite possibility," her mother said. "I never considered it when your father left. He and I were swept up in the glory and mystique and never bothered to face the cold, hard truth. When the officer came to tell me he'd died…" she paused to wipe her eyes with her handkerchief._

"_I'm sorry, Mama," she said quickly, feeling herself start to tear up. "Let's talk about something else." Just then, the doorbell rang and she got up to answer it, not surprised to see Damon on the other side. He said he would come by._

"_Have you told her yet?" he asked. "What did she say?" he stepped into the entryway. Then, he got a good look at her. Tears were falling down her cheeks. He wiped them away. "What's the matter, Lina?" he asked. "Are you all right?"_

_Those words echoed strangely, and he repeated them again, shaking her gently. Then, everything shattered._

"What's the matter, Lina?" Damon asked, shaking her gently. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I think."

Damon stopped shaking her. "Are you sure?" he asked. "You were sobbing. Did you have a bad dream?"

Selina looked into the blue eyes that wore the same expression that he'd had in the dream. She wondered if she was still dreaming after all. "You'll have to help me," she said. "Tell me where I am and what year it is."

"It's 2010," he said, putting his arms around her. "And you're at the boardinghouse. Now, what did you dream to get yourself so worked up?"

"It wasn't a dream, really," she told him. "Just a replay of when I told my mother we were engaged. After I told her you signed up at the recruitment office, she told me to be aware always that you might be killed and we'd not be able to marry after all."

"Well, that's a cheerful sentiment," he remarked. "No wonder you didn't tell me about it when it happened." Just then, there was a knock at the bedroom door.

"Are you up, Selina?" said a voice on the other side. "We need to leave for school in half an hour."

"Thanks, Stefan," Selina called and got out of bed. She dressed quickly in jeans, a purple shirt, and a black leather jacket, and telling Damon goodbye, left the room.

When she, Stefan, and Elena arrived at school, they headed straight for the room where they all had first period American Literature. They were doing _Gone with the Wind_, and things were going very well. They reached the room and took their usual seats next to one another, but were surprised to find the room empty. Their teacher, Mr. Ross, was a stickler for punctuality and it was only two minutes until the beginning of class.

A minute after the bell rang, a woman with short, messy red hair, and piercing blue eyes covered by black-framed reading glasses entered the room. She wore blue jeans, and a white blouse under a brown courderoy jacket. She turned to face the class, who stared back at her with curiosity.

"Hi, everyone," the woman said. "I bet your wondering who I am and why I'm here. Well, Mr. Ross had a little break down last week, so I'm your new substitute teacher. My name is Miss Underwood." She picked up a piece of chalk and wrote her name on the board with a flourish. "Now, before we continue your foray into _Gone with the Wind, _I think I should get to know all your names by taking attendance." She picked up the list that was on the podium and began ticking off the names as each student indicated their presence. When she reached "Bonnie Bennet," her face changed for a fraction of a second before she continued. The same facial expression occurred when she called Caroline's name. She looked up just as Elena was giving her assent and started badly. Stefan's name brought a grin to her face, and when she looked up and saw Selina, her hand begin to shake and she let out a little squeak.

As soon as attendance was taken car of, she pulled out the book. She opened it to the point that had been marked in her copy, read it over, and frowned. "I see you're to the part where Charles Hamilton has just died," she said. "Any thoughts on Scarlet's subsequent behavior?"

Selina cleared her throat. "I for one find her behavior disgraceful. Her husband died fighting. Just because it was an illness that killed him and not a bullet, doesn't make his sacrifice any less worthy."

Miss Underwood looked up at her, slowly shutting the book. "You know," she said. "I've always thought that." She shut the book and looked back at the class. "I think we've done enough with this today," she said. "I believe I want to go over some local lore now. Has anyone heard the story of the Lady in Red? How does it end?"

Selina and Elena looked at one another. Slowly, Stefan stood up. "Well," he said, "there are two versions of the ending. In the first version, the Lady forsakes her soldier fiancé and runs off with Dr. Stensrund. In the second version, she stays true to her fiancé and he kills her for refusing him."

"I don't like either of those endings," the teacher said.

Selina stood up as Stefan sat down. "Well actually Miss Underwood, I found a new ending that no one knew about until now," she said.

"Really?" Miss Underwood brightened. "Do tell."

"Well," Selina continued. "The Lady wasn't really killed by the doctor. He thought he killed her but was mistaken. He buried her alive, but thanks to the diligence of her fiance's brother, she was saved. She and the soldier were reunited and were able to be married after all." As Selina said this last part, she placed her hand on her desk so that her wedding ring was visible.

Miss Underwood's eyes caught sight of the ring and widened perceptibly. After a moment, she seemed to remember where she was and looked at Selina, Stefan and Elena. "Can I see the three of you after class, please?" she asked.

They nodded and Miss Underwood spent the rest of the class lecturing on _Gone with the Wind._

As soon as everyone else had gone, Miss Underwood shut the door behind her. "I suppose you're wondering why I asked you three to stay behind," she said.

"We would," Selina replied, "but you really are as subtle as a Mack Truck, Mama."

Miss Underwood grinned and walked over to embrace her. "Selina Amelia, did you know it was me all the time? I should have known I wouldn't be able to fool you."

Then, she looked over at Stefan. "Surprised?" she asked.

"A little," he stuttered. "Miss Amelia, I never would have guessed. You look different."

"Is that good?" asked Amelia.

"Yeah," Stefan said.

"How are you still here?" she asked.

"Katherine," he said.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I rue the day I gave birth to that girl." Her gaze traveled to Elena. "And speaking of Katherine, you look an awful lot like her."

"She's Katherine's good twin," Selina said.

"I can't believe you're Amelia Warren," Elena finally managed to get out. "I mean, we knew the body in the hills wasn't you, but—" she couldn't say anymore.

Amelia smiled and turned back to Stefan. "So, if you're here, and Selina's married, can I assume your brother is here as well? Did Katherine turn him, too?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "She meant to, but I got to him first."

"Can I see him?" Amelia asked. "I just want to see the two of you together so badly."

"Sure," Selina replied. "You want to come back to the boardinghouse with us? There's more than enough room in the car."

A/n- Sorry about the wait, everyone! This is the first time I've had internet in two weeks!


	2. Back From the Dead

After school, Amelia met Selina, Elena and Stefan at Stefan's car and they rode back to the boardinghouse. Amelia did most of the talking.

"Do you have a car, Lina?" she asked her daughter.

Selina shook her head. "I mostly use Damon's if I need one at all, but I'm thinking about getting one soon."

Amelia nodded and leaned back into the seat. She was sitting next to Selina in the back, while Stefan and Elena sat up front. "I can't wait to go back to the old house and see your father," she continued. "I haven't heard from him in a while, and I'm starting to be concerned."

"About that, Mama," Selina began, "we have something we need to tell you about Daddy, but it would probably be best to tell you when we get back to the house and you can sit down."

Amelia shifted slightly in her seat and looked at Selina. "You know about your father?" she asked. "You know that he's still alive? Well," she amended, "in a manner of speaking, that is."

Selina looked up in the direction of the review mirror and gave Stefan and Elena an appealing look.

"We do know," Elena said finally. "In fact, we met him. Like Selina said, we'll tell you about it when we get back to the house."

"Oh," Selina pulled her mother close. "And if you feel like failing Tyler at the end of the semester, that's all right with us."

"Why would I want to do that?" asked Amelia, frowning deeply. "Selina Amelia, is there something the three of you know about your father that you aren't telling me?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "But don't get all up in arms. We'll tell you what we know when we get back to the house. Now isn't a good time."

Amelia decided to be silent for the rest of the car ride and when they pulled up to the front of the boardinghouse, she waited until Stefan came around and opened the car door before she got out.

"The doors aren't that heavy, Mama," Selina said when she observed this. "You could have gotten yours open by yourself."

"I guess old habits die hard," Amelia replied, smiling at her daughter and shrugging. She turned to Stefan. "Thanks so much."

He nodded. "Any time, Miss Amelia."

She followed the three of them up the walk, but when they reached the door, Selina quickly turned around and put a restraining hand on her mother's arm. "Don't go inside yet," she told her.

"Why ever not?" Amelia asked.

"Well," Selina said, grinning mischievously, "you said you wanted to see Damon, and he doesn't know you're here, so I figure it would be fun if you made a bit of an entrance."

"You want to give him a heart attack?" Amelia asked.

Selina shook her head. "Oh, come on. If he can survive me showing up here out of nowhere after 145 years, then seeing you won't be any trouble."

"Then," Amelia said, looking them all over, "we're going to sit down at the kitchen table and have a talk. You're going to tell me why you're being so weird about your father."

"Of course," Selina said. She motioned to a bench on the porch. It was made of wrought iron and painted white, but the paint was beginning to chip in some places. "Mama, would you sit on this bench until I call for you to come and make your entrance?"

Amelia smiled obligingly and sat down. "Of course," she said.

Selina, Elena, and Stefan left Amelia on the bench and headed into the house, where they found Damon reading a book in the kitchen. At their approach, he looked up, put the book down, and rose.

"Hey," he said. "What's going on? How was school?"

Selina, Stefan and Elena looked at one another for a moment before Elena finally managed to get out "we have a project we need to do, so we're going to let Selina tell you all about it." Then, they scampered away, leaving Selina and Damon alone in the kitchen.

"Must be some project to get them running off so fast," Damon said, watching after them. He looked at Selina. "Do you want to sit down?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded, sitting next to him. "I think I do."

"So," Damon said, taking her hand. "What is it that they want you to tell me? What extremely interesting thing happened at school?"

"Well," Selina began, "Mr. Ross, you know our despotic American Lit teacher? He had a mental breakdown apparently, so now he's gone and we have a substitute. Her name's Miss Underwood and she's really nice."

"That's good," Damon said. "Anything else?"

"Well yes, actually," Selina told him, pulling him up with her. "Miss Underwood wanted to meet you, so we brought her with us."

He frowned, resisting her attempts to pull him along with her. "What's going on? Why would your substitute English teacher want to meet me?"

"Trust her on this one, Damon," Stefan called from the stairs. "You want to meet Miss Underwood."

"All right," Damon sighed. "I don't understand this at all, but lead me to her."

Selina led Damon to the door that opened to Amelia's porch. "Shut your eyes," she said.

"Who the hell is this woman?" he asked. "I hope it's not one of my exes."

Selina snorted. "Good God, if it was, you'd have _a lot _to answer for. It's one thing to sleep with Elena's birth mother, but mine too?"

Damon's eyes opened. "What did you just say?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders and shaking her slightly. "Are you trying to tell me that your mother is masquerading as a teacher at your school?"

"I'm not masquerading at all," Amelia replied as she opened the door and stepped inside the house. "I have my teaching certificate. I had to do _something_ to occupy my time all these years."

Damon let go of Selina then looked up at Amelia, blinking furiously. When he finally had convinced himself that she wasn't some sort of hallucination, he turned toward the railing and called for Stefan.

"What's the matter?" Stefan asked.

"Look who it is!" Damon said, gesturing wildly at Amelia.

"Yeah, it's Miss Amelia," Stefan said. "Damon, are you okay?"

He turned back to face Amelia for a split second, then turned on his heel and headed back toward the kitchen.

"I thought you said he was going to be okay with all this," Amelia said to her daughter as they followed him.

"I honestly thought he would be," Selina told her, shrugging. She and Amelia reached the kitchen, where Damon had his head down on the kitchen table. "Hey," Selina said, tapping him on the top of the head. "You need a drink?"

He lifted his head up, looked at her through unfocused eyes, and nodded. "A big one. I don't car what it is."

Selina nodded and filled up a glass, placing it in front of him. He took a big gulp and then looked from daughter to mother. "You're back, Amelia."

"Yes," Amelia said gently. "Didn't you know that? I'm sorry if you didn't. Selina told me you did."

"I did," Damon said. "I was there when Selina found Matthew's journal that had your note in it."

"You found out from your father's journal?" Amelia said, looking at her daughter. "Is that why you aren't as surprised to see me as I am to see you?"

"Yes," Selina admitted, taking the seat next to Damon and putting a hand on his arm.

Damon emptied the rest of the glass in one gulp.

"Don't drink it so fast," Amelia said immediately. "It'll go straight to your brain that way."

Damon looked up and sighed again. "Thank you," he said, shaking his head.

Amelia looked at the two of them. "What else did you find out from your father's journals?"

"Well," Selina continued, "they talked about how he came to get you amidst the vampire purging and turned you after the two of you got away from town. How he shot you with his dueling pistol and then the two of you left Mystic Falls and were never seen again."

"That's right," Amelia said. She looked at her daughter. "Are you mad at us? I understand completely if you are."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I guess I'm not. I mean, no offense, Mama but you were in bad shape back then. If that was what it took to make you better, then I'm glad you and Daddy found each other again."

Amelia nodded. "You're right. I was in bad shape. I guess it was because I never got over your father dying. I was so young and so in love and so naïve that I just never healed." She cleared her throat. "While the two of us were getting back together, what were _you_ doing?"

"She was getting attacked by my father, hiding out in the woods living on animal blood, and staying alone in Dr. Stensrund's house until she decided to leave for Europe in the twenties," Damon said.

"She was alone?" Amelia asked. Then, she nodded. "Of course you were," she said, looking at her daughter. "The Lady in Red was."

"Are you all right, Mama?" Selina asked. Tears were running down her mother's cheeks.

"What kind of a mother am I?" she said, her voice shaking. "I just ran off with your father and left you alone to fend for yourself!"

Selina shook her head. "No, Mama. Don't think that way. I managed all right. Being on my own helped me grow up. A lot. And how were you to know that I was alone? Don't take any of my baggage on your shoulders, please."

"Is everyone all right in here?" Stefan asked, coming into the kitchen.

"Yes," Selina said. "Or we will be in a moment. We were just beginning to fill Mama in on the smaller details."

"Oh," Stefan said. "Did you tell her about your father getting staked? Is that why she's crying?"

Amelia stopped sniffling for a moment and looked up at him. "When did Matthew get staked?"

"Actually," Selina said, frowning at him, "we hadn't gotten to that part yet, but thanks a lot for getting it out there."

"How did it happen?" Amelia asked. Elena went and got her a box of tissues, taking the seat on her other side.

"It's a bit complicated to explain," Selina said. "But we'll do our best. See, besides having an interest in Damon and Stefan, Katherine also made a deal with cousin Michael way back when. She knew he had a crush on me and promised to make him a vampire if he would get me out of the way so she could go after Damon and Stefan.

"Well that happened, and Michael managed to avoid detection until after the Great Purge, when Uncle Charlie found out and had him chained up under the church along with all the other vampires who had been caught. Fast forward to three months ago, when Tyler saw that I had returned to Mystic Falls. He knew Michael was trapped under the church and used magic to get him out. Then, while Michael was at his house, Tyler lured me there so we could meet, and that night, they kidnapped me and dragged me underneath the church so we could be 'married.' Daddy, Damon and Stefan found out about the situation from Bonnie, who in case you're wondering is a witch just like Emily was.

"Daddy, Damon and Stefan grabbed every wood implement they could find and rushed to the tomb, staking every vampire that got in their way. Then, Damon and Michael did battle which ended in Michael getting staked. Soon after that, Tyler, feeling, oh, I don't know, as if I'd betrayed the family or something, took it in his head that he was going to stake me once and for all, but Daddy saw, got in the way, and took the stake that was meant for me." She took a deep breath and looked at her mother. "And that's the whole story."

"So your father was staked while saving you?" Amelia said, smiling. "If he had to be killed, that's the way he would have wanted it. He really loved you, you know."

Selina nodded. "I do." She put a hand on her mother's. "I'm sorry, Mama."

"It's all right," Amelia said. "At least I know now."

"Can we ask you for an explanation now?" Elena asked.

"Sure," Amelia told her. "What do you want to know?"

"If the body that Sheriff Forbes found in the hills isn't you, who is it?"

"Well," Amelia cleared her throat and avoided their eyes. "That's a little difficult. When I tell you, you promise you won't hate us for it?"

"Of course," Selina said.

"Well," Amelia began. "After your father got me out of town, he told me that I'd have to die in order to complete the transformation. I told him I was all right with that, but that we'd have to think of some scheme so that my parents wouldn't know that I'd betrayed them and ran off with a vampire. They were very touchy about that. So, one day after I'd finished my transformation, we came upon this homeless woman who had a remarkable resemblance to me. Your father hit her over the head until we were certain she was dead, and then we buried her in a grave in the hills with two of my most treasured possessions: my engagement ring and my pink pearl necklace. Your father felt so guilty that he threw his pistol in there too. We left afterward thinking that anyone who would come upon the grave, if they did at all, would assume that I had been murdered or committed suicide. They would never know what really happened to me."

After she finished her story, the other four looked at her in silence for a moment.

"Oh, my God," Selina said finally.

Amelia stood up. "I should probably go. I've worn out my welcome by now."

As soon as she was gone, the four exchanged glances. "That's something we definitely won't be telling the mayor," Elena managed to get out.

* * *

Tyler arrived at Dr. Stensrund's right on schedule, and found Katherine in one of the rooms off the entryway. "So," he said, "what's the plan?"

"I'm just going to tell you what it is now," she said. "In order to get the ball rolling, we need some items in our possession that we don't have now." She looked at him for a moment before proceeding to explain. "There's a spell in Emily's book that can make one person become infatuated with another person, so utterly devoted to them that they'll never think of anyone else."

"I like the sound of that," Tyler said. "How does it work?"

"Well," Katherine continued. "That's where the items come in. First, I need you to look around your house for something specific, a piece of jewelry that your grandfather Michael's father Charlie gave Selina when she turned eighteen. It's a silver necklace, shaped like a cross, with little diamonds all over it. I don't think she has it in her possession. I'd start looking in the attic if I were you. Then, when you find the necklace, bring it back here, along with a sharp knife, and I'll give you further instructions."


	3. War Torn

That evening, Damon was sure Selina would want to go out, but to his surprise, he found her inside, sitting in the living room, clutching a bag of chips in one hand and a bowl of dip in the other. The lights were off, and her face was illuminated by the flicker of the television. "What are you watching?" he asked as he sat down next to her on the couch.

She looked at him and shifted position. "Chip?" she asked, holding the bag out to him. He shook his head and she popped another one into her mouth. "I'm watching the Newlywed Game," she said. "I like to pretend like we're on it, so every time there's a question, I write down what we would say."

"Oh," Damon replied. "Do we do well?"

Selina nodded. "I'd like to think we would." She paused. "Why were you so freaked out when my mother showed up today?"

He grabbed a handful of chips and thought a moment. "That was really irrational of me, I know. But I bet you'd be the same way if my father suddenly showed up on our front doorstep."

"No," Selina shook her head. "Considering that the last time I saw him he was trying to stake me, I highly doubt that my reaction would be cordial. I mean, not like yours was, but still."

He put a hand on her arm. "Your mother was like a second mother to me, just like my father was a second father to you. Do you remember how you felt when your father suddenly showed up again?"

"Yeah," Selina said. "It was a little weird, but I got used to it. Will you?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Eventually." He took the chip bag from her, and as she grabbed for it, they locked eyes. "What about you?" he asked. "After your mother's little revelation, are _you _going to be okay?"

"My parents killed an innocent homeless woman just so they could get away and no one would be suspicious about what happened to her." Selina said. "How do you think I should feel?"

"I think you should forgive her," Damon said. "I mean, you of all people should know what her life would have been like if she hadn't done what she did to throw her family off her trail."

"Yeah," Selina nodded ruefully. "She and Daddy could have lived in the woods as fugitives for months on end, feeding on animal blood and praying that one day soon, they'd be able to leave and be among civilized people."

"Come on," Damon said. "Don't be like this. I know you want to forgive your mother. I mean, think about what happened with your dad? What if your mother gets staked tomorrow, and the last thing she thinks about is that her baby Lina is mad at her. Her heart will be broken and then that will be on your conscience. And sweetheart, do you really want to live with that?"

"Oh, my God," Selina said. "I can't believe that you of all people are guilt-tripping me into making up with my mother. Stefan would be proud. That is, if he believes it in the first place. I'll go tomorrow if you'll just let the subject drop."

"You've gotta do what you've gotta do," Damon said simply. He looked at the paper on her lap. "So what have they been asking? Anything particularly interesting?"

"Well," Selina replied, picking up the notepad and turning on a lamp. "The last one for the guys was "if your relationship was a fairytale, would your wife be a, the damsel in distress who needs to be rescued, or b, the evil sorceress who imprisoned the princess in the first place and is bringing chaos and destruction to the kingdom?"

Damon thought a moment. "Neither of those really fit you, do they? You're no damsel in distress, but you're not a crazy evil bitch, either."

"No," Selina said. "That would be my sister."

"I'd have to go with none of the above," Damon continued. "I wouldn't want us to be in a fairytale at all. I'd much prefer some folk legend where we were a pair of thieves or pirates who scheme to take over the world."

"Would we rob from the rich and give to the poor?" Selina asked.

"No," Damon shook his head. "We'd keep it all, are you kidding? What was the last question for the wives?"

Selina put the pad down and came behind him, putting her hands on his shoulders. "The last question for the wives was "where does your husband like to be kissed best? Here," she planted a kiss on his neck, "here," his lips, "and there was one more place in the question that I can't get to right now."

He grinned. "You want me to help you get there?" he said, turning off the television.

"Sure," Selina replied as he led her into their bedroom.

* * *

Tyler went back to Dr. Stensrund's house with the necklace and the knife. It had taken him awhile to locate the necklace. It wasn't in the attic like she had said it would be, but he found it eventually, in a drawer in her old bedroom. Selina had probably forgotten it was there.

"Did you get the stuff?" Katherine asked.

"Yes," he said, holding it out. She took it from him, grinning.

"Excellent," she said. "Let me just grab something from the kitchen and I'll tell you what we're going to do with these things."

She came back a few minutes later, supporting a large glass bowl of water in her hands. "You need help with that?" Tyler asked.

"No," Katherine shook her head, setting the bowl down on the table with a _thunk._ "See, I've got it all under control. Now," she grabbed hold of the knife and turned it over in her hands, admiring the glint.

"What are you planning to do with that?" Tyler asked.

"Give me your hand," Katherine ordered. Tyler gave her his hand and she slashed across his palm.

"Damn!" he cried as the blood welled up. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"It's all part of the procedure," Katherine said simply. "Don't do anything with your hand. Hold it over the bowl and let the blood run into the water."

Still wincing, Tyler did as he was told. The ruby droplets hit the water one by one, slowly turning the water red.

"Now what?" Tyler asked breathing hard.

"Give me the necklace," Katherine said. He took it in his free hand and gave it to her. She dropped it in the water.

"That's it?" Tyler asked. "That's the big spell?"

"No, you idiot," Katherine replied. "We still need one more thing in order for the spell to work properly."

"What's that?" Tyler asked. "You only asked me to bring the necklace and the knife with me."

"We need Selina's blood now," Katherine told him. "In order for you two to be connected, your blood has to mingle."

"And how do you suggest I get Selina's blood?" Tyler asked. "She's married now. I can't just stroll up to the front door of the boardinghouse, knock, wait for her to answer, and when she does, say 'oh, hi Selina. Your sister and I are doing a spell so that you and I will be together forever. Can I have some of your blood'?"

Katherine smirked. "I hope you'd be smart enough not to say that," she said. "Because that would guarantee that you wouldn't get what we need. No, we need to make a situation so that the two of you are alone for an extended period of time."

"Again," Tyler said, "she's married. She won't want to be alone with me by choice."

"What if I told you I could make things so she _would _want to be alone with you by choice?" Katherine said. "What if I got into her head and made her so freaked out, she came running to your house and spent the night?"

"You can do that?" Tyler asked.

"Of course I can," Katherine said. "You go home and leave this to me. By tomorrow, I can almost guarantee you we'll have exactly what we need."

As soon as Tyler was gone, Katherine gave the bowl one last glance before she began looking around the house for what she needed. She found it under the floorboards in a room she only assumed her sister had occupied at one time. It was Selina's diary, dusty and dirty. There had to be something terribly tragic somewhere in here. She began leafing through the pages, getting a delicious thrill from reading her sister's most private thoughts. Finally, toward the end of the diary, she found exactly what she'd been looking for.

* * *

Selina had been sleeping soundly, but squirmed as her sleep was suddenly disturbed by something that she never thought she'd have to deal with again.

_The room was handsome and impressive and gave her a handsome view of the outdoors. The sky was blue, the grass was green, the birds were chirping, and the sun was out. But strangely enough, she didn't care. She didn't seem to care about anything anymore. Ever since she'd told her mother about Damon's proposal, she'd been melancholy. Giuseppe had noticed, so had everyone else. Everyone else except Damon._

_She sighed. He was so proud, so happy. And she couldn't tell him what was wrong with her because then _he_ would become as miserable as she was._

_And she didn't want to do that to him. You didn't do that to someone that you loved. But that didn't change the fact that once again she was going to lose another man in her life to war. Mama was right; she had to be aware that Damon would die. Not everyone did, of course, but what were the odds of Damon coming home alive, really? God wouldn't spare him just to compensate for all the misery she'd already suffered._

_She began to cry, the tears running down her cheeks and dampening her pink dress. She gripped the window sill and looked out at the day for a second before turning away. Across from where she was standing was the pistol case. She crossed the room and took one of the pins out of her hair, managing to open the lock. She took out one of the pistols. Giuseppe frequently used this one for target practice, so if anyone noticed it was gone, they wouldn't question it. She shut the door and locked it, then sat herself down on the chair facing the window. Putting the gun to her temple, she thought to herself, if Damon's going to die, then the best thing for both of us is for me to be there to greet him in heaven._

_Just as she was about to squeeze the trigger, there was a knock at the door. She opened her eyes and stowed the gun in a drawer. She opened the door and found Damon on the other side, dressed in his uniform, holding a single red rose in one hand, and grinning at her. "Hello, sweetheart," he said. "Kiss for a soldier?"_

"_Yes," she said, managing to smile as he entered the room. "Is that rose for me?"_

"_Of course it's for you," he said. "I ship off in an hour and thought I should come and say goodbye."_

"_That's nice of you," she said, taking the rose from him and kissing him on the cheek._

"_Are you all right?" he asked. "You look like you've been crying."_

"_Of course she's been crying," Stefan said, coming in suddenly and sparing Selina having to answer his question. "You leave to fight today and who knows if you're coming back?"_

_Tears welled up again and Damon took hold of her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "I'll get leave, Selina. You'll see me again, I promise."_

_She sniffled. "I bet that's what Papa told Mama and look what happened to them?"_

_He put his arms around her. "I'll come home to you, I promise. I won't just go off somewhere without telling you goodbye."_

_She nodded and buried her head in his shoulder. "I know that," she said. She finally managed to pull herself away for a moment. "Stay here," she told him. "I have something for you up in my room."_

_She came back a few seconds later, clutching a photograph in one hand. "I had this taken for you," she said, giving it to him. "Make sure it's the last thing you look at before you go to sleep."_

_He looked it over. It was a picture of her in a new dress with ringlets on either side of her head. "I will," he assured her, holding it against his heart._

_Just then, there was another knock at the door. Giuseppe was on the other side. "It's time for you to go," he said to Damon. He looked at Stefan and Selina. "Can I assume the two of you want to come down and say your last goodbyes?"_

_The three of them followed him to the front entryway, where Damon's things were piled up in the hall. "Well, goodbye, all of you," he said. He then took Selina's hand and kissed it. "Remember what I told you," he told her. "I meant every word of it. Goodbye, Lina."_

_Biting her lip on tears, she bid him farewell. Once he was gone, she made her way back to where she'd been, hoping no one would follow her._

_

* * *

_

Selina opened her eyes. Her pillow was soaked with her tears. She looked beside her on the bed. Damon was still sound asleep. It figured. He was clueless just when she needed him most. Or did she? He probably wouldn't understand anyway. She jumped out of bed landing lightly on the floor. She shoved her feet into sneakers, grateful that she'd worn sweatpants and a tank top to bed. She shoved some clothes into a bag and left the boardinghouse. She drove to the Lockwood mansion and knocked on the door.

She was surprised at how quickly Tyler answered it. "Hi," she said to him. "Mind if I stay here tonight?"


	4. A Midnight Conversation

Tyler smiled. "Of course," he said. "Come on in."

"You don't seem so surprised to see me," Selina told him as she followed him into the living room. "And most people would be if someone showed up at their door at this time of night."

He shrugged. "You hear things around town," he said.

Selina had no idea what that meant. "I think I'll just go up to my old room," she said. "I'll see you in the morning." She grabbed her bag and headed up the stairs, but he placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Why are you going away so quickly?" he asked her. "Something is obviously wrong with you or you wouldn't be here with a bag full of clothes in the middle of the night. Do you want to talk about it?"

Selina shook her head. "No, not really. I'd rather just tuck myself into bed and forget the last half hour, all right? Good night, Tyler."

"Good night," he told her gloomily. This wasn't going the way he'd planned at all. "If you're having problems," he said, in a last ditch attempt to stop her staying by herself all night, "it might help you to talk about them. I'd be glad to listen."

Selina turned to look at him, thinking to herself for a moment. Surely the only reason why he was being so supportive was because he wanted something from her that he figured she'd be more willing to give in her current state of emotional fragility, but at the same time, she'd told Michael about it when the situation had actually occurred and nothing bad had happened afterward.

"All right," she said finally, "but we're not talking about it in either of our bedrooms, all right? We're going to talk about it here in the living room, and you're going to have your hands where I can see them at all times."

"All right, all right," he said, backing away from her and holding up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I promise, I won't even breathe if you don't want me to."

So she sat next to him on the couch, but when she opened her mouth, the only words that came out were, "do you have any chamomile tea? I really need to get back to sleep."

He sighed. "You aren't going to tell me anything, are you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Why not?" he asked. "Do you think you can't trust me? I'm family, remember that?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "So was Uncle Jacob, and remember what he was like."

Grudgingly, Tyler got up and went to the kitchen to get Selina her tea. When she'd finished the cup, she dropped her duffel bag beside the sofa, stretched out on it, leaned her head against one of the throw pillows and shut her eyes. A few minutes later, her breathing was steady and regular. She was asleep.

He stared at her for a few moments. She looked so harmless, with her hair falling over her face in messy curls and her tank top that was light pink and covered with hearts. After a moment, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a knife out of the silverware drawer. He took it back to the living room and made a cut on her arm. She gasped, but didn't wake up. He watched in fascination as her blood dribbled into the container. After a few drops, not nearly enough however, the wound healed of its own accord. So he tried again. This time though, she woke up.

"My God," she gasped, sitting up. She looked down at her arm and then stared back at him. "What the hell are you doing with that knife?" she asked.

He looked at it. "I don't know," he told her.

"Yes you do," she said. "And I want you to tell me. Now."

He carefully wiped the blood off the knife with his finger. "I can't tell you," he told her. "It's a secret."

"I'm leaving," Selina said. "If you were hoping to take advantage of me at an emotional moment, you failed miserably." She strolled out of the house and back to the car, and drove back to the boardinghouse. By the time she got into the driveway, she was crying again.

She stumbled inside and up the stairs. Tyler was right. Something was wrong with her. She needed to talk to somebody, just not him. She found the door to Stefan's room and opened it. "I'm upset," she said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I need to talk to somebody now."

"Okay," he said as she looked up. "But can you wait a few minutes while we get dressed?"

She sniffled. "I'm sorry," she said. "What I have to say isn't really important. I'll just go back to my room and leave the two of you in peace." She turned away and was almost out the door when he spoke again.

"Just a minute," he said. "You never cry. Something is obviously wrong with you. Wait outside and we'll talk in a little bit."

She put her duffel bag next to the door of her bedroom and went to sit next to Stefan's door until he and Elena were properly attired and ready for conversation.

"We're ready now," Elena said, peeking around the doorframe. "Do you want to come in?"

"Sure," Selina replied, standing up and wiping her eyes.

"So what's wrong?" Stefan asked. "What's got you so worked up?"

"I had a bad dream," Selina said. "That's really stupid, I know, but it was about the day Damon shipped out and—"

"You had a dream about that?" Stefan asked. "Why?"

She shrugged and Elena handed her a tissue. "I don't know," she said, wiping her nose. "It just sort of happened. I didn't mean to think about it. In fact, after it happened, I promised myself I wouldn't think about it again."

"Why?" Elena asked. "Did anything bad happen? Besides Damon leaving, I mean?"

"Well," Selina told her, "up until the day Damon left, I was incredibly depressed. It all started the day I told Mama that Damon and I were engaged. She was really happy about it for a moment, and then I told her that Damon had also signed up at the recruitment office. Then, Mama asked me if I was worried about Damon dying in battle and my not being able to be married after all. That kinda burst my bubble, and for all intents and purposes, I mostly lost the will to live after that."

"You became suicidal?" Elena asked, putting her arms around Selina.

"I guess," Selina nodded. "The day Damon left was the worst. That was when I finally decided to end it all. I took a gun from their father's gun cabinet and put it to my temple. But just as I was about to pull the trigger, Damon showed up to tell me goodbye."

"So you put the gun away?" Stefan asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Then, I went with you and your father to see him off."

"Did Damon ever notice you were suicidal?" Elena asked. "Did he ever say anything?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "And I didn't want to tell him, because he was so happy about going to fight, and his father was so proud, and it was the first time that had happened since we were kids. I didn't want my silly little problem to ruin the moment for him."

"It wasn't a silly problem," Elena said. "Your problems were valid. You should have told someone. Does he know now?"

"No," Selina said. "And I never thought I'd have to tell him. I thought it would all just go away."

"Actually," Stefan said, "he wasn't as clueless as you might think about what was going on with you. Remember when you left the room to go get that portrait of yourself? While you were gone, we had a little talk.

"'_Something's wrong with Lina'," Damon observed as he watched her leave the room. 'She's been upset ever since she told her mother that we were engaged. I went to her mother's house afterward, to see if she'd actually told her mother, and when Lina answered the door, she looked as if she'd been crying.'_

'_I thought women usually cried when they got engaged', Stefan said._

'_Well, of course,' Damon replied. 'But I think it's more than that. I think it has something to do with the fact that I leave today.'_

'_She can't be upset about that,' Stefan protested. 'She was happy for you when you first told her, wasn't she?'_

'_She was,' Damon nodded. 'But something's changed. Maybe it's because the time for me to leave has finally come, and like you so tactfully said, I might never come back.'_

'_So we know she's upset, but what do we do?' Stefan asked. 'We really can't do anything about it.'_

'_Yes, we can,' Damon nodded. 'Or at least I can. And it's really the right thing to do, since I care for her and all. I'll fight for a little while, and then, after a few months, I'm going to quit.'_

'_What?' Stefan asked. 'Why?'_

'_You know why,' Damon said. 'Selina's already lost her father fighting. 'I don't want her to lose me too. She's already suffered enough.'_

'_Father isn't going to be too happy about it,' Stefan remarked._

_Damon nodded. 'I know,' he said. 'But honestly, I don't really care anymore. Lina's all that really matters now.' His eyes traveled to the door and saw that Selina was approaching. 'Shhh!,' he told Stefan. 'She's coming back. Remember, don't tell her anything about what we just discussed. I want it to be a surprise'."_

"Are you serious?" Selina asked. "Did he seriously defy your father and risk his wrath just for my sake?"

"Yes," Stefan nodded. "That's why I stuck up for him when Father came down hard. Because I knew the real reason why he did it."

"Did your father ever know the real reason?" Selina asked. "Or did the two of you keep him in the dark?"

"He never knew," Stefan said. "Father and Damon never talked about stuff like that, besides, by the time the lecture came, you were already gone, and because of what you allegedly did, Father didn't really like you."

"That doesn't surprise me," Selina said, scoffing.

"You seem better," Elena observed.

"I think I am," Selina replied. "It's a good start, anyway."

"I think you should tell Damon next," Elena told her. "You owe him that much."

"I guess I do," Selina said, standing up. "And since I've already told the two of you, getting it out won't be all that difficult, I hope." She began walking toward the door, but a knock stopped her in her tracks.

She hurried back over to where Stefan and Elena were sitting by the bed and a second later, the door opened. "Have you two seen—" Damon began, and froze when he saw her. "There you are, Lina," he told her. "When I woke up and you were gone, I was worried."

She stood up. "I'm sorry," she told him. "I had a bad dream, and since you were asleep, I came in here and Stefan and Elena were kind enough to let me pour my heart out."

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked.

"Yes, she does," Elena answered, standing up and shoving Selina toward the door. "She definitely does."

Selina followed Damon back into their bedroom and settled herself on the bed.

"So," Damon told her, standing in from of the bed with his arms crossed, "do you want to talk now?"

"Yes," Selina nodded, getting off the bed and coming around to stand next to him. "But first, I want to do this." And she hugged him so hard, lost his breath.

"What was that for?" he asked once they'd both let go.

"For everything," Selina said, smiling. "Even the stuff I'm not supposed to know about."

"Stefan told you about all that?" Damon asked, sitting back down on the bed.

"Yeah," Selina nodded, sitting next to him and taking his hand. "But only because that bad dream I had was about the day you shipped out. You were right in thinking I was depressed, because I was."

"Why?" Damon asked. "Did it have to do with me going away?"

"Yep," Selina nodded. "After Mama found out that you'd signed up, she asked me if I was worried about not being able to be married because you died fighting."

"Why would she bring that up?" Damon asked.

Selina shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it was because of all the pain she went through with Daddy. She probably wanted me to be prepared mentally so that if I got bad news, I'd be able to handle it more gracefully. That didn't work out so well. After our little chat, I felt like I'd lost the will to live, you know? And every day it got worse. Until, finally, on the day you shipped out, I planned to shoot myself with one of your father's pistols so that I'd be there in heaven to greet you when you died."

"_What_?" Damon asked. "When?"

"Just before you came to tell me goodbye, as a matter of fact," Selina said. "If you'd arrived a few seconds later, you would have found my head blown to pieces."

"Well," he said, putting his arms around her, "it was good that I arrived when I did then."

"Yeah," Selina nodded, putting her head on his shoulder and shutting her eyes. She was asleep soon after.

Damon looked down at her and ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Lina," he whispered. "Sweet dreams."


	5. Also Known As

A few hours later, Selina slowly opened her eyes. "My God," she said, blinking away the sleep and glancing at her husband. "Did you hold on to me all night? You didn't have to, you know."

"Yes I did," Damon said. "I didn't think you'd sleep otherwise." He rubbed her back and then turned her around so that she was sitting on his lap. Then, she stood up. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked.

"Sure," Selina replied. "It was just a dream, after all. And it happened _years_ ago, and we're married now, and everything is just peachy." She went into the closet and came out wearing an orange sleeveless sundress with a ruffled skirt. "Will you zip me up?" she asked Damon, deftly walking backwards until she was standing right in front of him.

"Sure," he replied. He got the zipper up, then she turned around. "Thanks," she said.

"No problem," Damon replied. "You're still up to seeing your mother today, aren't you?" he asked. "I'm not going to have to hogtie you and drag you there, am I?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I think it's a good idea. There are some things concerning my mother that I need to discuss with her."

"You mean like why she brought up my possibly impending doom right when you told her we were engaged and that it caused you to be depressed to the point where you wanted to kill yourself?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Mainly that. When I see her at school, I'll ask if it's all right for us to drop by later today."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "It's all right, Stefan," Selina called. "I'm up and dressed and I'll meet you at the car in twenty minutes."

A second later, the door opened. "I'm surprised you feel up to going to school today," Stefan remarked. "After what you went through last night, I mean."

Selina shrugged, grabbed a white cardigan that was hanging on her desk chair and put it on. "What doesn't kill us can only make us stronger. I don't know who said that, but I think he was right."

Stefan smiled and put a hand on her arm. "I'm glad you're okay," he said. "Because it really freaks me out when you cry like that."

Selina smiled. "But at least I still can."

Twenty minutes later, after saying goodbye to Damon, Selina followed Stefan and Elena out to Stefan's car. "I don't know how well I'm going to be able to concentrate in class knowing that Miss Underwood is your mother," Elena remarked.

"That makes two of us," Selina replied from the back seat. "But it won't be as hard as it was the first day. It took all the self control I had not to jump up out of my desk and expose her."

"Did you see the look on her face when she saw the ring Damon gave you?" Elena remarked. "She looked stunned."

"She should," Stefan remarked. "It took Damon more than a month to pick it out."

"It did?" Selina asked. "And was that _with_ your help or without it?" Selina asked.

"That was _with _my help," Stefan said, making a particularly steep right hand turn. "He was hopeless doing it on his own."

"Damon wants me to ask Mama if we can come over and chat later today," Selina said.

"Why does he think you need to chat with your mother?" Elena asked.

"He believes I have a lot of resolved issues regarding her, and since she's the only parent I have left, it isn't right for me to be angry with her."

"He used guilt to make you want to make up with your mother?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah, if you can believe it," Selina said. "I was just innocently sitting in the living room, eating chips and watching television when he comes traipsing in, steals my chips, and is all 'you can't be mad at your mother anymore. If she got staked tomorrow, would you really want it on your conscience that you didn't make up with her'?"

"I'm going to assume that's a paraphrase," Stefan said, shifting the review mirror a little bit.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I took a little artistic license, but that was the gist of it. I told him you would have been proud."

"I am," Stefan said laughing. "And I'll have you know that if he wouldn't have guilted you into it, I would have. Your mother is a wonderful person, and it isn't like _you've_ never killed a homeless person before. I thought you did it all the time when you were staying with Doctor Stensrund."

"That was entirely different!" Selina burst out. "I was out of my mind when I sucked those men dry! I never did it consciously and you know it!"

"On a completely different subject,' Elena said forcefully, breaking up the argument, "do you think Tyler recognizes your mother?"

"Oh, my God," Selina said, "I never thought of that. He _should_ recognize her, you know. There's a big picture of her in my old bedroom at the mansion and I know he's been up there before."

"And if he doesn't," Stefan said, easing the car into his parking spot, "it'll be very interesting when he _does_ figure it out. I wonder what will happen then."

* * *

They were the first people in the room, and Amelia looked up with a start when they sat down at their desks. "Hello you three," she said brightly. "You're early."

"Damon was wondering if you'd mind us coming to visit this afternoon," Selina told her. "He thinks we have some things to discuss."

"We do," Amelia nodded. "And I would be more then happy to do so. Why don't you give Damon a call at lunch and tell him to meet us back at the house after school?"

"Sure," Selina said. "That sounds all right."

"When you say 'us…'" Elena began.

"I mean all of you, if you want to come," Amelia said. "And if your aunt says it's all right." She looked at Elena.

"I'll send her a text while Selina's calling Damon," Elena told her. "I think it'll be all right though for me to come along for the ride."

* * *

After school ended, Stefan, Elena and Selina went to Elena's house. She hadn't been able to reach Jenna by phone and she really wanted to go to Amelia's house. "Jenna," Elena called. "Are you home?"

"Sure," Jenna called. "I'm in the kitchen."

"What are you doing?" Elena asked, gazing around the hopelessly messy kitchen.

"I thought I would attempt to make a cake," Jenna said. "And as you can see by the state of this," she gestured broadly around the kitchen, "I failed miserably. So," she said, "have the three of you come to tell me something?"

"I've been trying to text you since lunch," Elena told her. "But now I can see what you've been doing instead of checking your messages. No wonder you didn't get back to me."

"What's up?" Jenna asked.

"Selina's aunt is in town and she was wondering if I wanted to come along with Selina, Stefan and Damon when they go to visit her. Is that all right?"

"Sure," Jenna replied. "Just be back before curfew. I don't think I need to tell you that."

"Of course not," Elena told her.

They quickly left the house and Selina took the wheel this time. She knew the location of her parents' old house better than Stefan did, and she assumed that's where her mother was staying.

Damon met them as they parked and walked up the drive. "You came!" he said to Selina. "I didn't think you would, honestly."

"Of course I would," Selina said indignantly. "And I brought these two along as well because Mama asked for their company."

They walked around to the back of the house. Amelia sat at a black wrought iron table situation in the middle of the yard. The table was covered with cookies and lemonade.

"Wow," Elena said, looking at Amelia as they sat down. "You sure know what to do when company comes," she remarked, taking a cookie.

"I do my best," Amelia said smiling. "Although I will admit here and now that I got all these cookies from the bakery at the grocery store. I didn't make any of them myself."

"You're wiser than my aunt," Elena said. "She tried to bake today and only succeeded in making a complete mess of the kitchen."

"So," Amelia said after she'd finished a cookie and taken a sip of lemonade, "where do you want to start our little chat?"

"I had a bad dream last night, Mama," Selina said. "It was about the day Damon shipped out. Did you know that I tried to kill myself that day?"

"Why?" Amelia asked, wide-eyed.

"Because I'd completely lost the will to live," she said. "Why else would I want to kill myself?"

"Selina," Damon said warningly, placing a hand on her arm.

"What would make you feel like you had no reason to live?" Amelia looked at her daughter. Tears were beginning to well up in her eyes, making them look like twin blue pools.

"The day Selina told you we were engaged," Damon said, "she also told you that I had signed up at the recruitment office. You asked her if she was worried that I would die in battle just like Matthew did and we wouldn't be able to be married after all."

"I know I did," Amelia said, wiping her eyes. She took Selina's hand in hers. "I'm sorry if that worried you," she told her daughter. "It was a bit tactless of me to mar your engagement like that, but I really didn't know how to bring it up."

"You didn't have to bring it up at all," Selina said. "Why couldn't you just let me be blissfully ignorant for awhile, like you and Daddy were?"

"I don't know," Amelia told her. "I just don't know. I wanted to be comforting, I guess." She looked back and forth from Damon to Selina. "You two were really attached to each other, to put it mildly. I don't think either of you were in a long term relationship with anyone else, were you?"

"No," Selina said grumpily. "Although it wasn't for lack of trying on Louisa Forbes's part."

"Louisa Forbes liked me?" Damon asked.

"Of course she did!" Selina burst out. "Didn't you ever notice the way she come by your house every single day to bring you cookies that she so didn't bake herself, and how she would always get a new dress once a week? Her crush was epic in its proportions, let me tell you."

"Yeah?" Damon said. "But what about you and Tommy Fell? Explain that."

"That wasn't anything!" Selina told him. "Tommy was just being nice."

"He brought you flowers," Damon said, biting down on each word. "He was always a little _too_ nice to you."

"And one day it all stopped," Selina said. "Did you do something to him?"

"Not me," Damon said, shaking his head. "Don't you think I had better things to do with my time besides warning away potential suitors of yours?"

"No," Selina said, laughing. "It would have done you good to get other hobbies."

"Anyway," Amelia broke in, "You see why I wanted to deal with the war matter with extreme caution. There wasn't anyone else in your life. I just didn't want you to end up like me; widowed and then miserable because you married a man you couldn't stand. There were several days during the course of my marriage to Mr. Pierce where I just wanted to end it all."

"Yet you just kept going," Selina said.

"Well, I couldn't abandon you too, could I?" Amelia asked her, smiling. "Honey, can you forgive me?"

"Yeah," Selina said. "You put up with Mr. Pierce for my sake. How could I not?"

"On a completely different topic," Amelia said, "do you think Tyler recognizes me?"

"We were just talking about that on our way to school this morning," Elena said. "Selina thinks he _should_ recognize you, but we don't think he has yet."

"I'm wondering if maybe I shouldn't just go over to the mayor's house and introduce myself," Amelia said.

The other four looked at one another before Stefan said, "I don't think you should do it so abruptly. If you're going to reveal yourself to the mayor, take it _slowly_."

"Does he know about you?" Amelia asked, looking at Selina.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "But I never got everyone to believe I was dead so they wouldn't suspect me of being a vampire, now did I?"

"No," Amelia admitted. Then her eyes lit up. "They actually believe that I'm dead?" she asked. "The plan worked?"

Selina nodded. "A little _too_ well, in fact. When you left me that mysterious message on my phone about not coming to look for you, we were coming back from your interment ceremony."

"Interment ceremony?" Amelia asked blankly.

"Yeah," Elena nodded. "That homeless woman you and Matthew killed is now buried among the founding families beneath a grave with your name on it."

"You can't be serious," Amelia said, laughing.

"I am," Selina said. "Go and see for yourself."

* * *

After they'd gone, Amelia decided to do just that. She walked to the cemetery and opened the gate. She knew the area Selina had mentioned. When she'd been alive, that area had held the bodies of her parents among other people. It took a little looking, but eventually, she found the stone.

_ Amelia Lockwood Warren_

_ 1827-1864_

_ Much loved daughter, sister, and mother_

"It figures my family would leave the 'Pierce' out of my name," she whispered to herself. "They never really liked Robert to begin with." She stared at it a few seconds more and sighed. "I don't think I like this, some nobody buried under my name. I'll go to the mayor's tomorrow and get it sorted out."


	6. Back to the Past

"So, can I ask a favor of you two?" Elena asked Damon and Selina as she twisted around in the front seat.

"Sure," Selina replied. "What do you want?"

"Well," Elena said, looking a little sheepish, "you two were talking about some former conquests of yours earlier, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to elaborate."

"Please," Damon scoffed. "Louisa Forbes was hardly even a conquest. How can she be if I didn't even know she liked me? Selina's just being paranoid."

"Oh, whatever!" Selina yelled, slapping him lightly on the back of the head. "This coming from the king of the paranoid hypocrites!"

"It's not paranoia if I had legitimate reason to worry," Damon countered, rubbing his head. "Michael really _did_ have a thing for you, and we hadn't been there to save you, who knows what kind of trouble you would have gotten into?"

"Enough!" Elena said. "I'm sorry I even brought it up."

"I'm just glad Caroline hates your guts," Selina said, after a moment. "I would hate to have to go through a repeat."

"How is it," Stefan asked, "that you can talk about your infidelities with Isobel and Tyler like you're just discussing the weather, but when Thomas Fell and Louisa Forbes come up, you're at each other's throats, so to speak?"

"Isobel and Tyler are completely different," Selina explained. "I was out of my mind when I had sex with Tyler, so it wasn't like I consciously, willingly went after him. As for Isobel, she's old. No offense," she said, looking at Elena. "I have no reason to be jealous of her. But Tommy and Louisa are completely different."

"How?" Elena asked.

"Well…" Selina began, "It's a little hard to explain, and even now I don't understand it all myself, but I'll try: _I never really liked Louisa very much. She didn't look like you'd expect her to. Her hair was auburn, and her eyes were green. She was closer to Damon's age than I was, just a year younger, and that's probably why it started._

"_My mother was friends with her mother and she was always inviting Mrs. Forbes over for chats and cookies and all that. For some reason, they thought Louisa and I would get along well, but we didn't. She would always mock me for not having a father while hers was the law and gave her whatever she wanted._

"_One time while she was over, Damon, Stefan and Giuseppe were also visiting. Damon and I were sitting next to one another and she was just watching us the whole time. She was frowning and her expression never changed. Then, as soon as Damon was gone, she took me down to the basement under the guise of wanting to have a little 'chat' with me. Then, she asked me if I liked him, and I said that I did. And you know what she said? She told me that I was just a child and wondered aloud why in the world he would be interested in someone like me when there were other girls, much more sophisticated and worldly than myself, in town for him to choose from."_

"Wait, wait, wait," Damon broke in. "That's all just hearsay. You could be making it up to support your theory. It could be a complete lie for all we know."

"Fine," Selina scowled. "I can come up with a million other examples if you want me to. Remember the time Jeannie was playing with Michael in the yard and got her head stuck in the fence, and he came running to the house asking for my help to get her free? And how Louisa just _happened_ to show up at the same time Michael did?"

"Coincidence," Damon told her.

"I think not," Selina replied.

"All right," Elena said. "Tell us what happened."

"It was right after I moved out of Mr. Pierce's house," Selina began," And into Stefan and Damon's._ Their father had gone on some business errand for the day, so Stefan, Damon and I were home alone. I was sitting in one of the chairs on the front porch, reading a book, when Damon told me there was something he wanted to discuss. Naturally, I put my book down to follow him into the house, when, quite suddenly, a carriage drove up. The horses looked as if they had been riding hard for hours, but the driver was one of Uncle Charlie's, so I knew they hadn't come that far. I strolled up to the driver while Damon stood on the porch and glowered at me. He knew as well as I did where the carriage had come from._

'_What's the matter that you're running the horses so hard?' I asked. 'Is someone in trouble? Has there been an accident?'_

"_The driver removed his hat and looked at me with troubled eyes. He was a stout, balding man. His green eyes, usually so warm, were troubled when they met mine. 'I don't rightly know, Miss Warren', he said. 'Mr. Michael just told me to rush over here and fetch you. Explanations will be given on the way.'_

"_A moment later, the carriage door opened, and a tall form leapt gracefully from the carriage. 'Michael?' I said, running over to my cousin. 'What's the matter? What's happened?'_

'_It's Jeannie,' he told me, removing his hat and looking at me with the same worried eyes as the driver. 'We were playing in the yard and her ball got away and went into the yard next door. It was just on the other side of the fence and she thought she could get it out by putting her body through the section of pickets that were broken instead of going through the gate. Now she's stuck.'_

'_Oh, dear!' I cried. 'What are we doing just standing here for? We need to get her out before she gets really hurt!'_

"Jeannie was Michael's sister," Selina explained. "She was just six and didn't really have a lot of sense. I can't count the number of times Michael and I had to bail her out of dangerous situations." She paused and looked at Damon. "Did Louisa, or did Louisa not, try and get you alone while I was gone?"

"She did," Damon admitted. "But Father stopped it before anything happened."

"Did you actually say 'oh, dear,' or are you editing your language for our benefit?" Elena asked.

"I never swore back then," Selina said. "Mama didn't believe in it, and always encouraged me to use more ladylike ways of venting my feelings."

"Like what?" Elena asked.

Selina shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Thanks to the rules of the stupid cult of domesticity, women weren't _allowed_ to be angry."

"Well that's just ridiculous," Elena said. "Anger is a natural emotion and suppressing it is impossible."

"I know," Selina smiled. "The day that I realized I could swear without reproof was one of the happiest days of my life"

"Anyway," Elena said, "continue with the story. "What happened when you got back to the mansion? Was Jeannie really caught in the fence?"

"Yeah, poor girl," Selina said. "But it took awhile before we were able to leave because _some people_," she frowned at Damon, "wouldn't let us go."

"How was I supposed to know Jeannie was really in trouble?" Damon asked. "It wasn't like Michael hadn't ever made up crisis situations to get you away from me before."

"Aren't we possessive?" Elena gave Damon a wicked grin from the front seat.

"Well, we know what happens when I'm not," he said. "_Some people's_ cousins kidnap them, take them to an underground tomb filled with reawakened vampires, and try to marry them."

"That was one time," Selina said huffily. "It's not like it's going to happen again."

"All right," Stefan said, parking the car in the garage of the boardinghouse. "We're back. Would the two of you stop snapping at each other now?"

"We aren't snapping," Selina explained as she followed him into the house. "We're passionately debating two sides of an issue. It's a very healthy thing."

Stefan paused, shook his head, and continued up the stairs.

Once they were in the house, they took seats in the living room. "So continue," Elena said eagerly. "Tell me more about Louisa Forbes."

"All right," Selina said, "here's a good story about Miss Louisa." She cleared her throat.

"About two years before Damon and I got engaged, Louisa took it into her head to press her suit more vigorously. She'd tried without success for a long time to make him less interested in me and more interested in her, but every time, she'd failed. Then, she got an idea into her head that she thought for certain wouldn't fail."

"What was it?" Elena asked with relish.

"Tommy Fell," Damon said. "That's what it was."

"What about him?" Elena asked.

"She'd heard from somebody that Tommy had a crush on me, so she told him that I liked him too. I'm surprised it took her so long to figure it out," Selina mused. "His feelings were known to everyone else. He was very open about them."

"About as open as Michael," Damon said.

"Oh, come on." Stefan told him. "You can't hate Tommy. He was harmless. Not to mention one of my best friends."

"All the more reason to watch him closely," Damon remarked. "He had perfect access."

Elena looked from Damon to Selina and back again. "Did it ever occur to you two to date anyone else besides each other? It might have done you some good."

"No, it wouldn't," said Damon and Selina at the same time.

"Okay," Elena said, trying to move the conversation along. "What happened with Tommy Fell?"

"Well," Selina sighed, biting her lip. "Like Stefan said, Tommy was one of his best friends, so wherever Stefan was, Tommy was too. He would always want to hold my hand whenever we went anywhere, so I wouldn't fall and hurt myself, and one time, when we were out after a rain storm, he put his jacket over a puddle so my shoes wouldn't get wet."

"Did you ever do that?" Elena asked Damon.

"Yes," Damon said, nodding vigorously. "Lots of times."

"No," Selina shook her head. "He would usually just pick me up and carry me over. Wouldn't let me walk at all."

"That's not a bad deal, actually," Elena remarked.

"Why thank you," Damon said. "At least someone appreciates me."

"I never said I didn't appreciate it," Selina told him. "I did." She paused, and continued after a moment of silence while she gathered her thoughts. _"Tommy had always been gentlemanly toward me. Then, one day, he started leaving me notes and getting me flowers. I should have dissuaded him, but he was so sweet, I didn't have the heart. His mother and my mother came with us on outings to the ice cream parlor, and the art museum, and sometimes, I would just go over to his house and the two of us would read and discuss novels. It was very intellectual and stimulating."_

"I can be intellectual," Damon said.

"Would you stop interrupting?" Selina asked him. "I never said you couldn't be intellectual. Anyway," she continued, _"Louisa plotted for her plan to come to fruition on my seventeenth birthday. I remember sitting in our kitchen going through all the letters full of birthday wishes when the doorbell rang. 'I wonder who that is?' my mother remarked. 'I'll go see, dear,' she said to me, 'you just keep enjoying your birthday letters.'_

"_A moment later, she returned, and Louisa followed her into the room. 'Look who's here to wish you a happy birthday, Selina Amelia,' said her mother sweetly. 'It's Louisa.'_

"_I looked up from my birthday letters and pasted a smile on my face, about as sincere as the one Louisa was wearing. Her hair was back in a green bow and she wore a pretty dress of the same color. 'How kind,' I remarked._

'_I actually also came to invite you to a birthday party I'm throwing in your honor,' she said. 'It's at my house tonight at seven.'_

"_My mother was grinning widely now. 'Oh, Louisa,' she exclaimed, 'that's wonderful. Isn't that kind of her, Selina?'_

'_Yes it is,' I remarked. 'It's kind of her to try and steal Damon from me in front of a crowd of people where I actually have a chance of preventing her wicked scheme.'_

"_My mother frowned. 'Selina Amelia Elizabeth Warren, you're being unkind. Thank Louisa for her generous gesture so she can be on her way and start the preparations.'_

"_I smiled again. 'Thank you Louisa,' I said._

'_It's my pleasure,' said Louisa, bidding my mother goodbye and then sweeping out the door._

'_So,' my mother said, as soon as Louisa was gone, 'what are you going to wear?'_

'_I think I'll wear that red dress you got me,' I said. 'It looks wonderful on me.'_

'_Yes it does,' my mother agreed._

"_That night, things were as I expected: the punch was terrible, the conversation vacuous, and when it came time to dance, I saw that Tommy was the only man listed on my dance card."_

"What's the matter?" Elena asked Damon. "Why didn't you want to dance with her?"

I _did_," Damon protested, "but Louisa stole me for every dance!"

"And believe me, I was watching them like a hawk," Selina said. "Well," she amended, "Only occasionally. Tommy was a nice guy, and I didn't want to hurt his feelings."

"Then," Damon broke in, "after dinner, I'd had all of Louisa that I could stand. When she told me that Tommy had taken Selina for all the dances, I took him into the hallway, where no one could hear us, and calmly explained what I suspected Louisa of being up to."

"You were nice about it, I hope," Selina told him.

"Of course," Damon said. "I didn't hit him, or ask him to duel, or anything."

"So, after the party did Louisa leave you alone?" Elena asked.

"Pretty much, yes," Damon nodded.

Just then, the doorbell rang. "I wonder who that is," Selina remarked, getting up to go answer it. She opened the door. Tyler was on the other side. "Why didn't you tell me Miss Underwood was your mother?" he asked her.


	7. The Usefulness of a Family Curse

"You want to come in?" Selina asked.

Tyler nodded. "You bet I do," he said. Once he was inside and on the couch, he leaned forward and frowned again. "So," he said again, giving Selina a hard look, "you didn't answer my question: why didn't you tell me Miss Underwood was your mother?"

"When did you figure it out?" Selina asked. "I didn't tell you because I thought you'd eventually figure it out on your own. I mean, it's not like there aren't piles of pictures and things of my mother around your house."

"I didn't figure it out from looking at a picture," Tyler said tersely. "She stopped by and told me who she was."

"She _did_?" Selina asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "I think we're just lucky my parents aren't home. That'll give us time to figure out what to tell them."

"Well, do we have to tell them?" Selina asked. "Why can't we just keep it quiet?"

"Well, don't you think they'll wonder what's going on if she comes by the house again? In case you don't remember, we supposedly buried your mother awhile back. My parents think she's dead!"

"Well, your parents didn't seem to mind so much when I showed up," Selina pointed out. "There weren't any stories necessary to explain _my _sudden appearance."

"That's because my parents knew you were still around and so did every Lockwood who lived after Grandfather Michael," Tyler replied. "No one ever thought you were dead. Your mother, on the other hand, wanted to make certain that we all thought she was dead way back when. So what should I say if she comes by the house again?"

Damon stood up, advancing toward Tyler. "You know, Tyler," he said, "your lack of communication skills astounds me. I would think you would be inventive enough to come up with a good lie for your parents, but apparently not."

"Oh, yeah?" Tyler replied, standing up as well and going to meet him. "If I'm so bad at communicating, why did Selina come to me first after she had that nightmare about the day you shipped off?" By this point, they were practically nose to nose.

"All right," Selina said, squeezing herself between them, "I think we've had enough of sharing confidences for one day. Tyler, I will talk to my mother and we'll see if we can't come up with some explanation that'll please your parents. In the meantime, when you see them again, don't tell them _anything _about her being here, all right?"

"Fine, I won't." Tyler left the house without another word and Stefan, Damon, Elena and Selina sat in silence, until Damon said "did you really go to his house after you had your nightmare?"

"I did," Selina admitted. "But I didn't tell him anything. I left after a little while. The first people I told were those two," she said, gesturing at Stefan and Elena. "You were asleep, that's why I didn't tell you first."

"You could have woken me up. I wouldn't have minded."

Selina sighed. "No, that wouldn't have been nice."

"Oh," Damon's gaze became icy. "So it's kinder to go behind my back and tell Tyler instead?"

Selina frowned. "They're my confidences. I can give them to who I choose. I was just trying to be considerate, but if you're going to be such a pill, then you can just—"

"All right, all right," Stefan broke in. "Time out." He took a deep breath and looked at his brother. "Don't you get it?" he asked.

"Get what?" Damon asked frostily.

"It's when you act like this," Stefan said, "when Selina feels she can't talk to you, that's when she runs to Tyler."

Damon's expression smoothed over. "There are times when you feel you can't talk to me?" he asked Selina.

"Well," Selina shrugged. "Hardly ever. This time was different though, you know, because the nightmare happened due to a decision you made. But it was right for you to do, you know, and it made your father happy and I just didn't want to make you feel guilty for deciding to go off and fight when you were really doing something noble, and the issue rested with me."

He shook his head slightly and kept his gaze on her. "So if I hadn't come when I did, you wouldn't have told me what was wrong at all, would you?"

Selina kept her eyes downcast. "Yeah," she said quietly. "But they told me it would be best if I told you, so I did."

"And were we right?" Elena asked. "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded, looking at Damon. "I think I do." She shook her head. "Not telling you right away was silly, and I'm sorry."

Damon took her hand. "I don't ever want you to think that you can't talk to me, because you can. It doesn't matter when it is, or what it's about."

She hugged him. "All right," she said. "I'll try to remember that in the future."

Stefan cleared his throat, which caused them to pull apart. "What?" Selina asked.

"Don't you think you should call your mother and ask her what went on at Tyler's?" he asked.

"Yeah," Selina said, standing up in one graceful movement. "I'm eager to find out."

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her mother's number. They had a quick conversation, and then Selina hung up. "Mama wants us all to come over," she said.

They piled into Stefan's car and made the trip to Amelia's house. She stood waiting for them on the front steps with her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "Hey you three," she called cheerfully. "I've got quite a story for you!"

"My God, Mama," Selina said as they approached the driveway. "What in the world did you do to Tyler? When he showed up at the house, he was as white as a sheet!"

"Come inside the house and I'll answer your question," Amelia said. They entered the house and followed Amelia to the kitchen, which was done in dark red and burnt sienna. They sat down at the table while Amelia related the story in a slightly raised voice so she could be heard over a percolating coffee pot.

"I didn't to anything to him," she began. "You mentioned that the mayor had taken it in to his head to bury the body that they assumed was me in the Founding Families' cemetery. After you left, I went to have a look at the stone myself, and I saw that you weren't lying."

"Of course not," Selina said in surprise. "Why would I lie about something like that? We were there."

"I'd hoped you were mistaken," Amelia told her.

"Well," Elena said, "can you blame the mayor for wanting to commemorate finding your body? I mean, you disappeared for _years_. When they finally found what they thought was your body up in the hills, it was like a miracle, you know? What did you expect them to do when they found it?"

"I didn't want them to find it at all," Amelia said quietly.

"You mean you really intended to just run off with Daddy and not leave your family any word at all?" Selina asked.

"Yeah," Amelia said, looking up. "That's what I meant."

"Well then, why go to all the trouble of giving them a body?" Stefan asked. "Especially if it wasn't yours?"

"Look," Amelia said, "I didn't think they would look that hard for me. I just thought they would take a few days, and if they didn't find anything, they would just let the search drop. The reason why I thought of the substitute body was, well, I don't really know. But I thought that if they _did_ find the body, they would maybe, ascertain that it was there and just leave it be, you know?"

"No offense Mama, but that's incredibly naive of you," Selina told her. "You come from one of the most prominent families in town. Your parents loved you, and so did your siblings. They wouldn't just give up searching for you."

"I know," Amelia said miserably. "That should have occurred to me back then, but it didn't and now I'm stuck with a grave with my name on it that's home to somebody else."

"Is that why you went to Tyler's?" Elena asked. "To clear up the misunderstanding?"

"Yeah," Amelia nodded. "And it didn't exactly go well."

"What happened?" Elena asked.

Amelia sighed, then stood up to get the coffee pot, grabbing a glass for herself, and filling it up. "Anyone else want coffee?" she asked.

They each took a cup, and Amelia sat back down. "It didn't go well, to say the least," Amelia admitted. "I thought it would be simple since Selina's first appearance to the family went so well. But I shouldn't have been so optimistic. Like Selina has repeatedly pointed out to me, they already knew she was still around, and thanks to Michael, were under obligation to watch out for her."

"Did something bad happen, Mama?" Selina asked. "Were you hurt?"

"No," Amelia shook her head. "It's nothing so bad as that, Lina. After I left the cemetery, I decided head to Tyler's house and clear things up. I thought for sure no one would be surprised to see me. My portrait and photos of me are all over the house. So after I had a look at the stone, I got in my car and drove to the Mayor's house, right?"

"His name is Richard," Selina said. "You don't have to keep referring to him as 'the mayor' since we're family."

"All right," Amelia nodded. "I drove to Richard's house and parked in the street. I only saw one car parked in the driveway, but the lights were on in the windows, so I assumed someone was home. I got out of my car and walked up the drive. Then, when I reached the front steps, I rang the doorbell. Tyler answered, and when he saw it was me, he looked a little…I don't know what word I would use to describe his look."

"Surprised?" Elena offered. "Confused?"

"No," Amelia shook her head. "Irritated might be the word. If there's one for irritation mixed with surprise, that would be what his look was."

"Why would he be irritated?" Elena asked.

"Wouldn't you be if your teacher suddenly showed up in the middle of the day?" Amelia asked. "He was probably afraid that I was going to rat him out for something."

"You told him why you were there, right?"

"Not right away," Amelia said. "I thought I would begin with some meaningless chitchat and then get to the really important things."

"Really?" Selina asked. "I thought you would be more inventive than that."

"Actually, I was," Amelia admitted. "After he let me in, he led me into this room- I think it was one of the parlors- that just happened to have a giant picture of me hanging in it."

"A photograph?" asked Elena."

"No," Amelia shook her head and took a sip of coffee. "It was a painting."

"I hope you took advantage of that to have a laugh at his expense," Selina said.

"Actually," Amelia told them, "I was grateful for it. It made for a nice way to transition. I looked up at the picture and asked him who it was. He told me that it was a distant aunt of his, which I suppose would be true. Then, he told me he had photographs of her too. I asked if he would bring some of those out so that I could have a better look at her, and he came in carrying an old photo album, I think one of the ones Charlie filled up in the early days of his and Rose's marriage. Tyler opened it and showed me a picture of myself that looked particularly horrendous."

"I highly doubt you could look _completely _horrendous," Selina said, laughing.

"Even when I'm a drunken mess?" Amelia asked.

"I admit that wasn't your brightest moment," Selina conceded. "But that wasn't really your fault. Anyway, continue."

"All right," Amelia placed her coffee cup on the table, heedless of the fact that it might leave a ring on the wood, and continued: "Tyler looked at the picture for a moment and then looked back at me and said 'you know Miss Underwood, you look a lot like her,' and that's when I decided to just tell him. 'What would you say,' I said, 'if I told you I _am_ her'?"

"Did he believe you?" Damon asked.

Amelia smiled. "Actually, he burst out laughing. When he finally stopped, he said 'don't be silly. Aunt Amelia died _years_ ago. We just found her body and buried it as a matter of fact'. I nodded. 'I know,' I said. 'Selina just told me and I saw the grave before I came here.'

"He wasn't laughing anymore by that point. 'How do you know her name is actually Selina?' he asked me.

"Because she's my daughter,' I told him. 'I named her that as a kind of tribute to the weird affliction all Lockwoods share'.

"You mean the werewolf thing?" Elena asked.

"Yeah," Amelia nodded. "But how do _you_ know about it?" she asked.

"Selina's had some _incidents_ during full moons," Damon said. "Last time, she killed five people, and if I'm not mistaken, also helped Tyler become just like his uncle Jacob."

Amelia looked dismayed. "Selina Amelia, you didn't! What were you doing out during a full moon, anyway?"

"I didn't mean to," Selina said quickly. "It was all part of a plot to use me to destroy the town."

"_What_?" Amelia cried, looking aghast.

"It's a long story," Elena said quickly. "We'll tell it to you another time."

"Do you promise?" Amelia asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Now, what happened with Tyler?"

"Well," Amelia smiled mischievously. "After I brought up the bit about the 'family curse' all the color left his face and he kinda swayed on his feet. I thought he was going to pass out so I got him to a couch, and once he was lying down, he shut his eyes for a few minutes, then opened them and blinked up at me to make sure I was really there. Then, when he sat up, I asked him if he was okay."

"And what did he say?" Selina asked.

"He said he would be as soon as he checked out my story with you, and then told me I'd have to explain everything to him."

"I should probably come with you when you do that," Selina said. "In case his parents are there too, it might make things easier."

* * *

That night, Tyler headed back to Dr. Stensrund's house. "Katherine," he called as soon as he came through the door. "Are you here?"

"Yes," she came to meet him. "So," she said. "Did the plan work? Do you have Selina's blood so we can move on to the next step of the spell?"

"No," Tyler shook his head. "Something went wrong."

"Well, then why are you here?" Katherine asked bitingly. "Leave now and don't come back until you have my sister's blood!"

"I came," he said slowly, "because I found out something today that might be of interest to you."

"What?" Katherine asked.

Tyler took a deep breath. "Your mother showed up at the house today. Is that going to affect our plan at all?"


	8. Sisterly Love and Deceit

Katherine froze. "You can't mean that," she said. "It's impossible."

Tyler shook his head. "No it's not. She was standing on my front doorstep as plain as day."

"She was alive a hundred years ago," Katherine said, talking as if Tyler were slow at learning something. "So it's impossible for her to be alive now."

"That doesn't mean anything," Tyler said. "You were alive a hundred years ago too, and here you are."

"Well that's different," Katherine said. "I'm a special case."

"Could it be that your mother is a special case too?" Tyler asked.

"No," Katherine said, shaking her head, eyes blazing. "In order for her to be a special case, she had to be turned by someone. Who in the world would do that for her?"

"Your hands are shaking," Tyler observed. "And so is your voice. Correct me if I'm wrong, but could it be that you're actually _afraid_ of your mother?"

"No!" Katherine cried and picked up a small glass figurine shaped like a deer and threw it at the fireplace, causing the figurine to shatter into a million pieces. She looked at them for a moment, then turned back to Tyler, eyes blazing. "Don't be ridiculous," she said. "I'm not afraid of anyone." She ran her tongue across her lips. "After your failure," she said, "it's clear to me that I can't trust you to retrieve Selina's blood; you're too emotionally attached to her. I'm going to go with plan B."

"What?" Tyler cried, eyes wide, standing up. "You're going back on the plan? But you promised I could have Selina! You promised!"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Would you get a grip on yourself? Being whiny and desperate isn't attractive, remember that. I'm not rejecting the plan; that should be obvious to you. I have reasons of my own for wanting my sister distracted and out of the way."

"And what would those be?" Tyler asked.

"They would _be _none of your business," Katherine snapped. She stepped over to the fireplace and picked up a big piece of the glass deer figurine and running her finger over one of the sharp edges. Blood welled up and she held up her finger so that it glowed red in the firelight.

Tyler wanted to look away, but kept staring at the blood running down her finger in strange fascination. "Who are you going to get to do the retrieving?" Tyler asked once she'd mopped up the blood.

"Oh, don't you worry about that," Katherine told him. "I'll be asking an old friend to do the job for me. Someone who I know has easy access to my sister as well as her complete trust."

"Who?" Tyler asked breathlessly.

"Damon Salvatore, of course," Katherine said, grinning wickedly and wiping invisible dust off her black leather jacket.

"Him?" Tyler asked, frowning. "Why him? He's more emotionally attached to her than I am. They're married in case you don't remember me telling you. He won't hurt her no matter what you tell him."

Katherine burst out laughing. She stumbled over to the couch and fell back on it. When she finally managed to get her breath, she looked back up at Tyler, eyes sparkling. "You're really funny," she managed to get out.

"I'm not trying to be," Tyler said. "I'm just trying to be realistic and tell you what you're up against."

Katherine leaned forward and ran a finger over his cheek, making him shiver. "You forget," she said, speaking right up next to his ear, "that this isn't the first time I've broken Damon and Selina up. Believe me, you say the right things and it's so easy to get him to believe she's being unfaithful to him."

"All right," Tyler said, turning slightly so that he was looking directly at her. "You enjoy whatever it is that you're planning and come back here when it's all done so you can tell me how it turned out."

"You're helping me," she said. "I'll need you later." She stood up and made for the door. "Come back in a few days," she said. "I'll have my sister's blood then."

"What was that about?" Isobel asked as soon as Tyler was gone.

"Apparently, my mother has returned," Katherine told her.

"Your mother?" Isobel asked. "I thought she was dead!"

"I thought so too, but according to Tyler, she showed up on his front step very much alive."

"That must mean she's a vampire," Isobel said. "How else would she be here?"

Katherine frowned. "I know that, but the question is, how in the world did she become one? Who would do that for her?"

She looked involuntarily up at the mantle. "Who's that?" Katherine asked, gesturing at the picture that sat there. "He looks familiar."

"His name was Matthew Warren," Isobel said with relish. "Isn't he cute?"

Katherine's eyes widened. "Matthew Warren? He was Mama's first husband and Selina's father!"

"I vaguely remember Lucy telling me that," Isobel nodded.

"Who's Lucy?" Katherine asked.

"More like who _was_ Lucy," Isobel said dryly. "Your sister staked her. She was a friend of mine."

"So Lucy was a vampire, but what does that have to do with Matthew Warren?" Katherine said impatiently.

"She was the one who turned Matthew when he was dying of typhoid," Isobel said.

"And at some point, he must have turned my mother," Katherine growled softly. "This is just wonderful. It's going to throw everything off completely."

* * *

"Can you believe that story Mama told?" Selina asked, taking a seat at the breakfast bar next to Elena. "That would have been so awesome to see the look on Tyler's face when she showed up on his front step."

"I can't believe he passed out," Elena agreed. "Men usually don't."

"But then again, most men don't have their English teachers come to their houses and proclaim that they're an aunt who should have been dead more than a hundred years ago."

"I guess it's only fitting," Selina said. "When I found out about Michael, I passed out too. Payback? I think so."

"But that was different!" Elena said.

"How?" Selina asked.

"I don't know," Elena shrugged. "It just is."

"What do you think you're going to tell his parents?" Stefan asked.

Selina shrugged. "I think we should just tell them the truth," she said. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

"Wait," Stefan said. "Did Richard and Carol know that your father was a vampire too? Or will we have to add that to the growing list of things you're going to have to explain in light of your mother suddenly appearing in Mystic Falls?"

"I forget," Selina said. "But it wouldn't hurt to remind them, I guess."

Just then, the phone rang. "I wonder who that could be?" Selina asked, getting up to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Selina, it's Richard," said the voice on the other end of the line. "I have some troubling news."

"Who is it?" Damon mouthed when he saw that Selina was frowning.

"The mayor," she mouthed back. "What's happened?" she asked, shifting the phone on her ear.

"Your mother's stone has been vandalized."

Selina pulled the phone away from her ear. "Someone vandalized Mama's stone," she told Damon, Stefan and Elena. "What should I tell him? It might have been Mama that did it."

"Ask what kind of damage it is," Stefan suggested.

Selina nodded and put the phone back on her ear. "Yes Richard, I'm still here. What, exactly, is the damage to Mama's stone?"

"The dates have been messed with," he said.

"Messed with how?" Selina asked.

"Her death date's been scratched out. I don't understand why."

"Is that the only damage?" Selina asked. "The stone isn't broken or anything is it? All right, I'll come and have a look at it tomorrow. All right, goodbye, Richard."

"What was the damage?" Stefan asked.

"Somebody scratched out Mama's death date," she said as she laid the phone down in the cradle. "It's probably nothing; just a harmless prank."

"Do you think your mother did it?" Elena asked.

"Why would my mother want to do it?" Selina frowned.

"I don't know," Elena shrugged. "Maybe as a way of telling the mayor and Mrs. Lockwood that they buried the wrong body?"

"That could be," Selina conceded, taking back her seat, "but that might mean deliberately exposing herself as a vampire. Remember that she still doesn't know how Richard and Carol are going to react to the fact that she's still alive."

"It's actually clever, I think," Damon said. "She's not making a big splash by doing something majorly risky like killing a few locals every night, but is instead choosing to literally and subtly claim 'I'm not dead yet' by erasing the death date on her tombstone."

"What if it wasn't her who scratched out the death date on her tombstone?" Elena asked. "What if it was somebody else?"

"Who else would it be?" Selina asked.

"Tyler, maybe?" Elena suggested. "Maybe as a way to give his parents a little heads up?"

"It's not much more difficult for him to go up to his father and _tell_ him that your mother isn't dead," Stefan said.

"Maybe Tyler wants to break it to them gently," Elena said. "I mean, remember what happened to him when Amelia gave him the news."

"Anyone else?" Selina asked.

The other three shook their heads. "All right," Selina said. "I promised Richard I'd go with him to the cemetery tomorrow to inspect Mama's tombstone and maybe offer up some insight on the offenders. I'll look for clues while I'm there and try and figure out why in the world someone would want to scratch the death date off Mama's tombstone."

"Maybe it's just a prank," Stefan suggested.

"God, I hope so," Selina said. "Because if not, it means that someone besides us and the Lockwoods knows that Mama's a vampire. And that could mean trouble."

"It'll be all right, you know," Damon said as he followed Selina out of the kitchen. "You look like you need a drink. I was just going to go out. Do you want to come with me?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "You go out. I'll be fine, I promise."

* * *

He didn't really believe that Selina was fine, and if it was possible, he would have convinced her to come with him, but he figured that if she was in the house with Stefan and Elena, they could force her to confess what was really bothering her and then he could get them to tell him later.

Instead of going to a bar, he stopped by one of the nicer restaurants in the town, one that specialized in steaks and other prime cuts of beef and sat down at the bar. He was halfway through his second drink when he felt the tap on his shoulder. He turned around and almost choked.

"Hello, Lover," she said, smiling. "Have you missed me?"

"What?" he got out. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought I left you back at the house with Stefan to watch over Selina. She's really not doing well, you know."

She sat down next to him, grinning and shaking her head. "I really don't care," she purred. "I'm here to see _you_."

"Me?" he asked. "What do you want me for?"

"I need a favor," she told him. "I need something from Selina, and I highly doubt she'd be willing to give it to me, seeing as she doesn't like me at all. I thought that since the two of you were married and all, she'd give you whatever you wanted."

"Why wouldn't she like you?" he asked, wondering what in the world Elena was talking about. "And if you asked her for whatever it is, I'm sure she'd only be too happy to give it to you."

"No, no, no," she shook her head. "You still don't know who I am, do you?" she asked.

"Yes, I do," he said, nodding vigorously.

She shook her head. "No, you don't. But I can help you remember. Will you let me?" she asked. And before he could say anything, she kissed him, long and hard. And in a rush, it all came back to him. By the time she pulled away, he knew.

"Katherine," he said breathlessly. "Katherine, what are _you_ doing here?"

"I came to see you, silly," she said, ruffling his hair. "And my sister. Now about that favor—"

"What do you want from her?" he asked.

"I need her blood," Katherine said. "Can you get some for me?"

"Why would you want that?" Damon asked.

"Because I want to be close to her," Katherine said. "She's my sister, and sisters should be close." She waited for him to agree, but he hesitated. "Do you need some more convincing?" she asked, planting little kisses on his neck. "Come back to the house with me, and I'll give you several."

"All right," Damon said.

* * *

He woke up in a dark room. He was lying in bed, and Katherine was next to him. It was completely obvious what he'd just done, and that no amount of lying would be sufficient to keep Selina unaware. But he had to try.

"I have to go," he whispered.

"Why?" she asked, smiling. "Why can't you stay? Selina won't miss you."

"Yes, she will," he said. "That's why I need to get back before she starts asking questions. I told her I was only going out for a few drinks."

"Oh, all right," Katherine said, getting out of bed and wrapping the sheet around her. "Now, about the favor: you _will _get her blood for me."

"Yes," he nodded. Then, he dressed quickly and was out like a shot. He realized as soon as he was clear of the house that he had a vaguely flowery scent all over him. He walked to the mall and into the nearest place to sell scented soaps and bath and shower gels and bought Selina a collection scented in rose. He paid and headed back to the boardinghouse.

"What kept you?" Selina asked when she opened the door. "Did something happen? Did you have an accident?"

"No," he said. "Come into our bedroom real quick, I got something for you."

"You got me a present?" she asked, sitting on their bed.

"Yes," he said, giving her the bag. She looked through it.

"This is _wonderful_," she exclaimed. Then, she grinned saucily. "Want to come into the shower and try it out with me?"

"No," he said quickly. "I'm tired. I think I just want to go to bed. I hope you enjoy all that. Goodnight."

"Good…night," she said, frowning slightly and putting the bag on the edge of the bathtub before changing into her pajamas. Then, she shut the lights off and got into bed, wondering what in the world was wrong with him.


	9. Keep Your Enemies Closer

The next morning, Selina slowly opened her eyes and reached out to run her fingers through Damon's hair. He was facedown on his pillow, but at her touch, he turned ever so slightly and cracked one eye open. "Good morning," Selina greeted him, smiling.

"Good morning," he said, sitting up. He was still looking at her like she was a wild animal who might bite if he wasn't careful.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "Is something wrong? Does it have to do with the reason why you came in so late last night? I have a feeling you weren't out looking for bath soap the entire time."

"I wasn't," he agreed. "I had a little too much to drink, and then I met a friend and went to their house to sleep it off."

"I see," Selina said. "And did this friend bring you home last night?"

"No," he said. "I drove myself home."

"Oh," Selina nodded. "All right then." She paused. "Did something bad happen to you last night, because you've been acting weird since you got back."

"I have not," he protested. "I was just tired last night, that's all."

"Oh, really?" Selina asked. She got out of bed and began taking off her pajamas. When she was wearing only her underwear, a thin, lacy pair of panties and the matching bra, she put her hands on her hips and frowned at him. He was turned away from her and staring at the wall. "Why can't you look at me now?" she asked. "You've always been an admirer of the feminine form."

He cleared his throat, but didn't turn his head. "You aren't dressed and it's not polite to stare."

"Oh, come on!" Selina cried, laughing. "That excuse might have worked in 1864, but now it's just weird. Now tell me, what's really going on?"

He turned his head and stared. But his gaze wasn't polite, it was panicked. He was breathing hard. "For God's sake," he said after a couple of minutes, "will you stop standing there like that and put on some clothes?"

Selina frowned. "Fine," she said icily. "Hand me that raspberry shirt and my short black skirt." She dressed quickly and when she was done, he practically shoved her out the door. She ran into Stefan on her way down the stairs. "Will you try and talk to your brother?" she asked. "Something weird's going on with him, and he won't tell me what it is. You don't need a lot of specifics. Just ask him if I've done something to annoy him recently."

"All right," Stefan said. "Where are _you_ going?"

"I think I'll go and see if Elena wants to go and have breakfast, because I really want to have a talk with her, and then I'm going to go see Richard so we can stop by the cemetery and see what's going on with Mama's gravestone. I should be back later this afternoon."

"Good hunting," Stefan said.

With her hand on the doorknob, Selina turned and saluted before heading out the door.

She walked down the front steps and stopped in front of Damon's car, pulling out his keys, which she'd nicked before leaving the room. She wondered if he'd even noticed. The car started with a vengeance and she drove to Elena's house quickly and without incident. She walked up the front steps and knocked on the door three times. Just after the third knock, the door was opened by Elena's brother Jeremy. "Hi," she greeted him as he opened the glass door and leaned against it. "Is Elena home?"

"Sure," he said without missing a beat. "You wanna come inside?"

"Thanks," Selina said, following him to the living room and sitting across from him in a green velvet armchair.

"Elena!" he called, "Selina's here!"

"Coming," Elena called back. "I'll be there in a second."

"So," Selina said to break the silence, "how are you feeling?"

"Good," Jeremy replied nodding. "The doctor says I've completely recovered." He paused. "Could you answer a question for me?" he asked.

"Sure," Selina said. "Anything."

"Who was Lucy?" he asked. "Was she related to you?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "She knew my father, and when we told her that he was dead, she didn't take it as well as we hoped. She was angry and took out her anger on other people."

"Oh," he said. "Did she make you attack me?"

"Yes," Selina said immediately, although it wasn't strictly true. She couldn't tell him the truth though. Only certain people were allowed to know _that_. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right," he said. "It wasn't really your fault, was it?"

At that moment, Elena came down the stairs, wearing a blue sweater and jeans. "I'm ready, Selina," she said. She looked at her brother. "Have the two of you been having a nice talk?"

"Yeah," Selina said. "But I came here to ask if you wanted to have breakfast with me. I need to talk with you."

"Is something wrong?" Elena asked.

"I think so," Selina said, leading Elena out to Damon's car.

"Damon let you drive his car?" Elena asked.

"No," Selina shook her head as she turned the key in the ignition. "I stole the keys from his dresser after I got dressed this morning."

"So, what did you need to talk to me about?" she asked once they were moving. "You don't need to give me specifics now, just the gist."

"It's about Damon," Selina said. "He came home after going out for a drink last night, and now he's acting really weird."

"Weird how?" Elena asked.

Selina sighed and took her hands off the wheel for a moment. "He won't look at me and he won't touch me. Whenever he _does_ look in my direction, his eyes are all wide and frightened. What do you think's going on?"

Elena waited to answer until they were seated at a table in their favorite coffee shop, beverages in hand. "You aren't going to like my answer," she said. "From the sound of things, it seems like maybe he cheated on you and feels guilty about it."

"Really?" Selina said. "Well, he _did_ have a bag of shower gel and stuff for me when he came in the door. And when I suggested we try it out, he got all defensive and said he was tired and wanted to go to bed."

"Weird," Elena said, taking a sip of her coffee. "Maybe it wasn't serious though. He was at a bar. Maybe he just got drunk and inadvertently made out with some girl that was hanging around."

"I should have gone with him," Selina said. "He asked me if I wanted to come."

"See?" Elena nodded. "That means that whatever it was he did probably _was_ an accident. If he was planning in advance to cheat on you, he wouldn't have asked you to come along to the bar with him."

"Well, I have no doubt it was an accident," Selina said. "I just wish he would tell me what happened."

"Just wait," Elena told her. "He will."

* * *

Stefan knocked on Damon's door. "Let me in," he called. "I think we need to talk." There was no answer from the other side, but Stefan let himself in anyway. To his surprise, he found his brother laying on his side of the bed and staring blankly at the wall. "What's wrong with you?" he asked, sitting next to him.

Damon pushed himself up. "How do you deal with guilt?" he asked.

"What?" Stefan asked in surprise.

"How do you deal with guilt?" Damon repeated.

"What bit of guilt are you struggling with?" Stefan asked.

Damon sighed. "Last night, I cheated on Selina," he confessed.

"_What?"_ Stefan asked, his eyes wide.

"Last night, I cheated on Selina," Damon repeated. "I had a few drinks, ran into an old acquaintance, and then we kissed and it was like 1864 all over again."

"Wait just a minute," Stefan said. "1864 all over again? You don't mean—"

"Yes," Damon nodded. "I do. Katherine's back. And that's why I couldn't tell Selina what I did. She can handle any other relationship I've had except that one. And if she found out I was out with Katherine again—"

"I don't think she'd be happy about it," Stefan agreed, "but you need to be honest with her. She forgave you the first time. She'll probably do it again."

"She left the house," Damon said. "Did she tell you where she went?"

"She said she was going to stop by Elena's to see if she wanted to go to breakfast, and then go see Mayor Lockwood about her mother's tombstone."

"Oh," Damon said. "I'll tell Selina when she gets back then."

"I really think it would be the best thing," Stefan said. "You want a drink first, though?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "That's what got me into this mess."

* * *

After Selina and Elena finished their coffees and got muffins to go, they got back in Damon's car and drove to Elena's house and Selina dropped her off and bade her goodbye. "Good luck," Elena said.

"Thanks," Selina said, smiling. "I'll need all the luck I can get." She drove to the cemetery where Tyler and the mayor were waiting. "Sorry I took so long getting here," Selina apologized.

"It's all right," Mayor Lockwood reassured her, turning away from the stone for a moment. "Here it is," he said, gesturing at it. "What do you think?"

Selina squatted and peered at it intently. The death date was definitely gone. "I gave this a lot of thought," she said, "and realized that maybe it was just a harmless prank, you know?"

"I don't think so," Mayor Lockwood shook his head. "I'm surprised you'd suggest something like that, Selina. You know how much finding your mother's body meant to this town. Who would want to dishonor her like this?"

Selina shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I really don't know."

At that moment, Tyler edged closer to her. "Look," he whispered. "Your mother's headed this way."

"What?" Mayor Lockwood asked.

"I said, our new English teacher's coming this way," Tyler said quickly. "I don't know if you've met her yet, Dad."

"I haven't had the pleasure," he said striding toward her. "Hello," he greeted her, taking her hand. "I'm Richard Lockwood, Mystic Falls' mayor."

"Hello," Amelia said smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you." She gestured around at the gravestones. "Are you here visiting someone?"

"Actually, Miss Underwood," Selina said before the mayor could reply. "We're here visiting a distant aunt of his. Her tombstone was defiled and we're trying to figure out who did it."

"Oh, dear!" Amelia exclaimed. "How awful!" Her eyes traveled to Selina and Tyler, who were standing close together holding hands and she frowned.

"Do you have any ideas, Sophia?" she asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "But we wondered if you did. You're sure here often enough to have seen something."

"No," Amelia shook her head. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen anything."

"Well," Mayor Lockwood sighed. "I guess we won't figure anything out today. Maybe we'll try again after we've had time to think things out a little more."

"Sophia," Amelia said, turning to her daughter. "Would you mind driving me home? It looks like rain and I don't want to be out walking."

"Sure, Miss Underwood," Selina said.

"Miss Underwood," said the mayor as they were walking away, "would you be interested in joining my wife Carol and me for dinner next week? I want to give you a proper welcome to Mystic Falls."

"Why thank you, Mayor." Amelia said. "I actually lived here awhile ago, but then my circumstances changed and I had to move away." She breathed deeply. "It's wonderful to be back, though."

After the plans were made, Selina and Amelia headed to Damon's car. Selina put herself behind the wheel and Amelia sat next to her in the front passenger seat. "Selina Amelia," said Amelia once they were moving, "do you want to tell me what was going on back there?"

"What do you mean?" Selina asked.

"I saw how close you and Tyler were standing together," Amelia said, her blue eyes narrowing. "And you were holding his hand. May I remind you that you are a married woman?"

"I know that, Mama," Selina snapped. "I wasn't doing anything wrong."

"Cheating on your husband is wrong," Amelia said.

"I wasn't cheating on him!" Selina cried. "I was just standing around with my cousin!"

"As Damon's wife, your responsibility is only to him," Amelia said stiffly. "I didn't raise you to shirk on your responsibilities."

"Oh, come on!" Selina cried, pounding on the steering wheel. "I haven't cheated on him at all. But counting Katherine, he's cheated on me dozens of times!"

"And if you'd been doing your duty as his wife, that probably wouldn't have happened," Amelia said smugly. "After you drop me off, I want you to go home, confess what you did to Damon, and hope that he'll be kind enough to forgive you for your indiscretion."

Selina rolled her eyes as she parked in the driveway of her parents' house and her mother got out of the car. "Fine," she said. "I'll 'confess my sins'." She scowled at her mother. "You really need to get with the times, Mama."

As she drove away, she seethed. By the time she pulled into the driveway of the boardinghouse, she'd made her decision: she didn't care whether or not Damon was ready to tell her what the matter was. He would tell her right now, or God help him.

"All right," she yelled, stomping to their bedroom door. "I want you to tell me what happened last night this minute!" she threw the door open with her shoulder and gasped. Damon was lying on their bed, dressed as he often had when they were alive: in tight black pants, a loose, billowy white shirt opened at the throat, and shiny black boots. His hair was tousled and hanging in his eyes. He held a red rose in one hand. "Hello, sweetheart," he said. "Kiss for a soldier?"

"I-I-I-" Selina was having trouble moving. And speaking.

He smiled and got off the bed, striding over to her and handing her the rose. She took it and smiled, kissing him. "You seem better," she said.

He nodded. "I had a talk with Stefan and he said I should tell you everything. So I am."

"What happened last night?" she asked.

"Well," Damon said, "for starters, the 'friend' that picked me up at the bar last night was your sister."

"Katherine?" Selina asked. "Katherine's _here_?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "She got me to go with her back to her place."

"Did you sleep with her?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Damon admitted. "Are you mad?"

She put her head on his chest. "If you didn't look so damn hot right now, I would be."

He grinned. "Why do you think I did this?"

She looked up at him. "But you still love me, right? She didn't use any weird mind tricks on you to turn you against me?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "She thinks she did, but I was faking it. I still love you best, don't you worry." He kissed the top of her head. "She asked me to do a very weird favor for her."

"What?" Selina asked.

"She wanted me to get a hold of some of your blood. She said she wanted to use it as a way to bond with you."

"You aren't going to do it, are you?" Selina asked.

"Actually, I was thinking of complying," Damon said.

"What?" Selina cried. "_Why?_"

"Well," Damon said, "You want to take Katherine down, right?"

"There's nothing I'd like more," Selina nodded.

"Well, she obviously has a scheme in the works to drive us apart. I think we should go along with it. Once we have her trust, it'll be easier to work from inside enemy lines."

"Did she tell you what the plan is?" Selina asked.

"No," Damon shook his head. "But I'll probably find out once I bring her your blood."

"All right," Selina sighed. "I'll go get a knife."

"Don't be silly," Damon said. "I can do it so much more enjoyably."

Selina laughed. "All right," she said. "This won't get us in trouble, right?"

"Maybe," Damon said. "But the trouble's half the fun." She sat down beside him. He put his arms around her and began planting kisses on her neck before driving his fangs into her throat.


	10. Sunrise, Sunset

That night, Amelia had a drink before tucking herself into bed. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep, but she would try anyway. She sighed and stared up at the ceiling. It was so hard to be in this room knowing that Matthew was gone and that she would never see him again. She wished she would have at least been able to tell him goodbye.

And not only that, Selina had changed as well. She used to be so good and obedient, but now—now Amelia just didn't know what to do about her. Finally, she was able to shut her eyes, and happily, she dreamed of the people she loved most in the world, but in past times.

"_Can you believe we're parents now?" Matthew asked._

"_No," she shook her head, looking down at the little girl in her arms. "Do you think we'll be good enough for this?" she asked. "What if we fail?"_

_Matthew's green eyes lit up and he brushed his brown hair away from his face. "We aren't going to fail," he said, taking the baby from her gently. "Little Lina's going to be the most loved little girl who was ever born."_

_Flash_

"_I just don't know, Charlotte," she said to her best friend. "I'm really not happy in my new marriage at all. Charlie told me not to marry Robert and maybe he was right."_

"_Well," Charlotte replied, "There's a solution to your problem that's really very simple."_

_Amelia's eyes widened. "Oh, no Charlotte, I couldn't do _that_."_

_Charlotte took her hand. "I wasn't even thinking about asking you to divorce him," she said._

"_Well, what else is there?" Amelia asked._

_Charlotte smiled wickedly. "You could always kill him and make it look like an accident. I'd be glad to help and I don't think anyone would blame you."_

"_Charlotte, my goodness," she said, her hand on her heart. "Are you listening to yourself?"_

_Charlotte laughed. "Don't look so worried, dear. I was only joking."_

_They didn't say anything else, however. Charlotte noticed Damon coming around the side of the house, holding three-year-old Selina tightly by the hand. "Aren't they adorable?" Charlotte asked. "Wouldn't it be great if our children got married some day?"_

_Flash_

"_Selina, I have something to tell you," Amelia said._

"_What's that, Mama?" Selina asked. "Did I do something wrong? If I did, I'm very sorry."_

"_No, honey," Amelia said, leading her into the master bedroom and giving her a hug. "You don't have to apologize. It's me who's done something wrong. I should be apologizing to _you."

"_What did you do?" Selina asked curiously._

_Amelia put her hands on Selina's shoulders. "I've lied to you," she said._

"_About what?" Selina asked._

_Amelia sighed. "Mr. Pierce isn't your father," she said._

"_What?" Selina asked._

_Amelia nodded. "You're eight years old today, and it's time you learned the truth."_

_Selina looked at her in wonder. "Are you serious?" she asked._

"_Yes," Amelia put her hands on Selina's shoulders._

_Selina smiled. "This is a wonderful birthday present, Mama," she said. Then, she frowned. "Who was my father?" She gasped. "I'm not illegitimate, am I?" she asked._

_Amelia smiled sadly and ran her fingers through Selina's hair. "No, my dear, you aren't. Your father's name was Matthew Warren and he was the kindest, most wonderful man in the world."_

"_What happened to him?" Selina asked. "Why did you have to marry Mr. Pierce?"_

_Amelia sat down on the bed and motioned for Selina to climb next to her. "He went off to fight in the war against Mexico," she said. "And he was killed."_

"_Oh," Selina said. She looked at her dangling feet for a moment, and then back up at her mother. "Did he love me?" she asked._

_Amelia began to cry. "Yes," she said, taking Selina in her arms. "He loved you very much."_

_Flash_

_Amelia opened her daughter's bedroom door and found her huddled on the floor next to her bed. "I heard a crash," she said. "Is everything all right in here?"_

_At that moment, Selina looked up. Her face was dirty, there were cuts on her cheeks, and one eye, the left one, was swollen shut._

"_Oh, my God," Amelia breathed. She ran over to her daughter and put her arms around her. "What's happened to you?"_

"_It was Mr. Pierce," Selina said in a broken voice. "He came up here and he hit me. I don't know why, but he was in a frightful temper."_

"_Oh, my dear," Amelia said, holding her gently. "Everything's going to be all right now. I'm going to send you away, and Mr. Pierce will never be able to hurt you again. I'll send you to the Salvatores'. Charlotte always used to joke that there were too many men in that house and that one day she was going to spirit you away so she'd have some female companionship."_

"_Sometimes, I wish she had," Selina said. Then she looked guiltily up at her mother. "I'm sorry, Mama," she said. "I didn't really mean that."_

"_Yes you did," Amelia said, nodding. "And I understand perfectly."_

_Flash_

_It was Saturday, so once again, like she had every week for the past two years, Amelia was going to visit Selina._

"_Hello, Amelia," Giuseppe said, smiling as he came to greet the carriage. "Selina has been waiting for you."_

"_Yes, I have, Mama!" The voice was bright and cheerful, and Amelia smiled as she watched Selina run toward her, then slow to a more leisurely pace as she came closer._

"_That wasn't fair," another voice called close behind her. "You cheated. You started running before I said 'go'." _

_Selina turned. "It's Saturday," she said. "Mama's here. Did you expect me to wait to see her?"_

"_No, I guess not." Damon was panting and walked with a slight limp, but when he saw Amelia, he smiled, removed his hat, and gave a small bow. "Hello, Miss Amelia," he said._

"_Hello, Damon," Amelia said. She looked between him and her daughter. "And what have you two been up to?" she asked._

"_Well," Selina said, grinning devilishly. "Damon's been teaching me how to shoot a gun. He says I'm very good."_

"_Why?" Amelia asked._

"_It never hurts to be prepared," Damon said. "In these uncertain times, you never know what might happen."_

* * *

Amelia woke up with a start as her alarm blared. She had no idea that she was capable of sleeping that deeply, but apparently, she had. She got out of bed, shut her alarm off, and got dressed.

Just as she was about to leave her bedroom, she remembered that she'd left the house key in one of the drawers of the dresser. She opened the top one and began to root around. Suddenly, a letter in a cream-colored envelope found its way to the top of the clutter.

When she saw that the letter had her name on it, written in ornate script, she took them out of the drawer and opened it, curious to see who it was from. She began to read the letter and felt two tears track down her face.

_My Dearest Amelia,_

_What I'm about to tell you is very important. You aren't going to like it, but this is how it has to be. You know I told you that Lina is alive and promised you that someday, I would bring her with me when I left Mystic Falls so that the three of us would be a family again? Well, something terrible has happened, and if I don't take action right now, Lina could be killed._

_Apparently, 145 years ago, your daughter Katherine made a bargain with your nephew Michael to ultimately ruin Selina's life by having Selina marry Michael while Katherine got Damon and Stefan into her clutches. Well, Katherine also turned Michael into a vampire, and now, thanks to a member of the current generation of Lockwoods, Tyler, Michael has returned to collect his debt. He's kidnapped our daughter and has taken her to a crypt under the old church to force her into marriage. Stefan, Damon and I are going to rescue her._

_I don't know if I'm going to come back from this or not, but I feel I owe my daughter my life after ruining hers so thoroughly by going off to war when she was just a baby and nearly getting myself killed._

_In case I don't make it, and you come here on your own and meet with her, you must know that she's doubtlessly changed a lot and is no longer the same young woman you knew from 1864. She's bolder now, more independent. And she tends to play with rules as she sees fit rather than just blindly accepting them. But she's really not that difficult to get along with. Just remember three things:_

_Pick your battles_

_Tell her you love her_

_And if you have a fight: __leave it alone for the night, and remember that things always look better in the morning._

_And remember also that no matter what happens, I'll always love you._

_Matthew_

Amelia smiled through her tears, folded up the letter, stuck it in her purse, grabbed her key and made it to school, hoping that her daughter wouldn't notice that she was upset.

* * *

It was obvious to Selina that her mother was upset about something. All through her lecture on _Little Women_, her voice and hands had shook. Halfway through class, she'd shut the book and burst into tears, fleeing from the room.

"What's wrong with her?" Tyler asked.

"I don't know," Selina replied. "Maybe we should go out and see."

"Do you need some help?" Stefan asked.

"No, thanks," Selina shook her head. "We'll manage just fine."

Tyler and Selina found Amelia sitting in the next hallway over from the classroom. Her crying had subsided, but she was still shaking. "What's the matter, Mama?" Selina asked. "You can tell me."

"No, I can't," Amelia said, as Selina handed her a tissue. "There's nothing you can do to fix it."

"Are you sure?" Tyler asked, coming to stand on her other side. "What's the matter?"

Amelia sniffled and looked at her daughter. "You've changed so much from the girl I'm used to," she said. "And I'm just having trouble adjusting. I'll get over it in time, though."

"Really?" Selina asked. Then she paused. "Mama, was this about the fight we had yesterday?"

"A little," Amelia nodded.

"I'm sorry for what I said," Selina told her. "I didn't really mean it."

"Yes, you did," Amelia told her. "And I understand perfectly."

Selina sighed and looked over at Tyler. "I don't think she should be here anymore, at least for a couple of days. Could you take her home with you? I think it would be good if she was among family."

"Of course," Tyler said. "What should I tell my parents when they show up?"

Selina thought a moment. "Stall them," she said. "Then call me, I'll come over, and we'll tell your parents together."

Tyler nodded and led Amelia away while Selina headed back into the classroom to announce that class had been dismissed for the day.

* * *

"Is your mother going to be all right?" Elena asked when they were in the hallway heading to second period. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's just going through a little crisis right now," Selina said. "Give it a little time, and she'll get better."

"What kind of a crisis?" Stefan asked.

"Remember when Damon and I first got back together and he had trouble reconciling who I was with who I am?" Selina asked.

"Yeah," Stefan nodded.

"Well," Selina said, "I might have Damon chat with her about it. It could be good for her to know that he went through the same thing."

* * *

"So how was school?" Damon asked later that day. "Anything interesting happen?"

"Mama had a breakdown," Selina said. "She and I had a fight yesterday, because when I met with Tyler and Mayor Lockwood to check on what was going on with her tombstone, we were apparently standing a _little_ too close together for her liking and she gave me a lecture about being a faithful wife and not shirking my marital responsibilities."

"Are you serious?" Damon asked. "If anyone deserves that lecture, it's me."

"I know," Selina said. "I told her that, but as usual, she stuck steadfastly to the belief that it's the woman's fault whenever anything goes wrong in a relationship. She also told me that I should confess my sin of 'cheating on you' and hope that you'll be merciful enough to forgive me."

"Parents, huh?" Damon said smiling. "Isn't it fun when they try to force their values on you, even when you're doing perfectly fine on your own?"

"Yeah," Selina scoffed. "No kidding." She paused. "So," she said after a moment, "Is my blood safe? When are you taking it over to Katherine's?"

He thought a moment. "I'll take it over tonight."


	11. What You Need

Taking a deep breath, Damon parked his car in the street in front of Dr. Stensrund's old house, grabbed the container of Selina's blood from the backseat and started up the drive. When he reached the front door, he knocked and was relieved when she answered right away.

"There you are," she said, ushering him inside. "Can I assume that since you're here you have something for me?"

"Yep," he said, holding up the brown paper bag and grinning. She took it from him and peered inside.

"You _did_ get it," she said approvingly. "I didn't think you would."

"Oh, come on Katherine," he said, coming toward her and putting his arms around her waist. "What would make you think that I would fail?"

"Your incredibly unreasonable attachment to my sister," Katherine said. She looked at the container that held Selina's blood. "You had to hurt her in order to get this, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yep," he said. He shrugged. "It was no big deal, though." He paused. "So, now that I've brought you what you want, are you going to tell me what the big secret plan is?"

Katherine smiled. "No, silly. If I _told_ you it wouldn't be a secret anymore. But I will tell you that you'll like it. I promise." She kissed him deeply. "Does she know you're here?" she whispered as soon as she pulled away.

"No," Damon shook his head. "I had to be stealthy. You know how she'd try and stop me if she knew where I was going."

"And as you and I both know, Selina the vampire is a lot stronger and more violent than human Selina ever was." Katherine pouted. "She ruined my plan."

Damon guided her over to a chair. "Let's not talk about her now, all right? We're here, she's not."

Katherine smiled wickedly. "I like the way you think."

* * *

Selina was sitting alone in the kitchen trying to figure out what to do with herself when she got the call from Tyler: "my parents are back. Can you come over?"

"Sure," she said. "It's not like I have anything else to do. Damon's out and about and won't be back until late." Then, she hung up the phone, grabbed her keys, left a note for Stefan in case he wondered where she'd gone, and then drove over to the Lockwood Mansion. "Hello?" she called, leaning against the open front door. "Anybody home?"

"Of course," Mrs. Lockwood said, hurrying to greet her.

"I'm sorry for just showing up like this," Selina apologized. "Or did Tyler tell you that I might be stopping by?"

"He did mention something of that nature, and you know we're always happy to have you." She led Selina to the dining room, where Amelia sat between Mayor Lockwood and an empty chair, the one Selina assumed Mrs. Lockwood had vacated in order to come and meet her.

Selina cleared her throat and looked around the table. "Hello, Richard," she greeted the mayor, "Miss Underwood, Tyler."

"Hello, Selina," Mayor Lockwood said. "Glad you could come. Tyler said you might."

"Did he mention anything else?" Selina asked.

"Like what?" Mrs. Lockwood replied, looking curious. Tyler was shaking his head.

"Oh, nothing in particular," Selina said quickly. "I just wanted to be caught up on conversation."

"We actually haven't talked much," Amelia volunteered. "We've mostly just been waiting for you."

"And do you know why I'm here, Miss Underwood?" Selina asked, putting her napkin in her lap.

"Yes, I do." Amelia said. "You're here to help Tyler share that news that his parents need to hear."

"What news?" Mrs. Lockwood asked. "Has something terrible happened?"

"Not really," Selina said. She looked at Tyler. "Do you want me to tell them, or do you want to?" she paused, and then looked over at her mother. "Or do _you_ want to?" she asked.

"I think one of you should," Amelia said.

"I think we should do it together," Tyler said.

"What are you _talking_ about?" Mrs. Lockwood asked.

"Well," Selina began, looking at the mayor, "remember the interment ceremony we had to bury Mama's body?"

"Yes," Mayor Lockwood nodded. "What about it?"

"Well," Selina said hesitantly, looking at Tyler who was nodding encouragingly. "It was all a lie."

Mayor Lockwood blinked. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Selina said quickly, "that the body buried under the stone with Mama's name on it isn't really Mama at all."

"What?" Mrs. Lockwood asked. "Of course it is! The police and medical examiner told us it was!"

"Well," Tyler said, "they were lying."

"But the valuables that were buried with the body were Amelia Warren's. Who else could it be?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't really know who it is. But it's not my mother."

Amelia was eyeing Mayor Lockwood with interest. "I could tell you who it is," she said. "I was there when she was killed."

"That's impossible," Mayor Lockwood said. "The body's 145 years old. How could you have been there?"

Amelia gestured at Selina. "Why did you call her Selina?" she asked. "Selina Warren lived in this town around the same time of the body in Amelia Warren's grave. This girl's name is Sophia."

"No it isn't," Mayor Lockwood said. "Her name is Selina. We call her Sophia in front of people who aren't part of the family. I'm sorry I forgot about that."

"No," Amelia said. "It's okay. I gave her her name, so it's good that people remember it still."

"What are you saying?" Mayor Lockwood asked.

"My God!" Selina said, throwing up her hands in exasperation. "It's really not that difficult to follow: We don't know who the person buried in Mama's grave is, but it can't be Mama because Mama's sitting right here!" She gestured emphatically at her mother.

"It's true," Amelia said after a moment of silence. "My name isn't Underwood at all. It really _is _Amelia Lockwood Warren."

"How?" Mayor Lockwood asked. "If you are who you say you are, how are you still here?"

"It's quite simple really," Amelia said. "During the Great Vampire Purge, my husband showed up in Mystic Falls just as I was about to do away with myself and offered to take me to be with him forever."

"So the ghost of your husband came to escort you to heaven?" Mrs. Lockwood asked. "That must have been a relief."

"Obviously that's not the case," Amelia said, frowning. "If I'd died, would I be sitting here talking to you now?"

"Continue," Mrs. Lockwood said after a moment.

"Thank you," Amelia said. "As you may or may not know, if you do then I'm sorry for repeating it to you, my husband Matthew was actually turned into a vampire after he caught typhoid while fighting in the Mexican-American War."

"Oh, my God," Mrs. Lockwood said, looking faint. "Matthew Warren was a vampire and he came here in 1864 and turned you? But then, what about the body?"

"I didn't want my family asking questions about what happened to me," Amelia explained. "And what with all the anti-vampire sentiment in this town, I didn't think they'd be too pleased with my decision."

"So your husband turned you and the two of you left town, killing some random stranger so that your family would think you'd either been murdered or committed suicide?" Mayor Lockwood asked.

"Basically," Amelia said, nodding. "I know it seems like a stupid idea now, but at the time, it was the perfect plan."

Mayor Lockwood looked at Selina and Tyler who'd sat in silence during this speech. "Is she telling the truth?" he asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded.

"When did _you_ find out?" Mrs. Lockwood asked, eyeing her son.

"She came to visit a little while ago," Tyler explained. "That's when she told me. She pointed out pictures as proof and everything."

"Well," Mayor Lockwood said, "I really don't know what to say."

Just then, the oven beeped. "Dinner's ready," Mrs. Lockwood announced. "Who wants to eat?"

* * *

Selina didn't feel like eating, so she went up to her room and Tyler followed her soon after. "Are you all right?" he asked. "You seem upset."

Selina sighed. "It's nothing," she said. "It's just really weird having Mama back after all these years, that's all."

"Weird how?" Tyler asked, sitting next to her on the bed.

Selina scooted back on the bed a little. "Remember what Mama was talking about during her breakdown at school?" she asked.

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "She talked a lot about how much you've changed over the years."

"And how hard it is for her to get used to," Selina added. "You wouldn't know," she continued, "but I _have_ changed a lot."

"I _do_ know," Tyler said. "I've read Grandfather Michael's journals and you're the person he talks most about."

Selina gave a small laugh. "That figures," she said. "He didn't really have many other interests besides my life." She paused. "I didn't realize that it would affect her so much," she said after taking a breath. "And it hit me yesterday when we were driving back from the cemetery after looking at the grave."

"What did you two fight about?" Tyler asked.

"You're just going to think it's silly," Selina said, not wanting to tell him.

"Try me," Tyler said.

"All right," Selina turned her body so that she was facing him head on. "She thought that you and I were standing a little too close together and the fact that we were holding hands just made her livid. She scolded me for cheating on Damon, shirking my marital duties, yadda, yadda, yadda. Then, when we got back to my parents house, I snapped at her."

"What did you say?" Tyler asked.

"I told her to mind her own business and get with the times," Selina said.

"Good for you," Tyler said. "I think it was the right thing for you to say."

"Now I'm starting to think it wasn't," Selina said. "If I'd known that it would do that to her, I wouldn't have said it."

Tyler sighed. "I think that all parents, whether they mean to or not, have an image in their heads of how they want their kids to be. And sometimes, the kids agree with that image, and sometimes they don't. And if they don't, the best thing for the kid to do is to find out what works for them and stick with it regardless of what the parents think."

"So I shouldn't start acting like some damsel in distress out of a fairytale even if it would make Mama more comfortable?" Selina asked.

"Exactly," Tyler said, grinning and giving her shoulders a squeeze. "It took you 145 years, but you've finally found a niche for yourself that's comfortable. And personally, I couldn't imagine you any other way."

"Thanks," Selina said, smiling back. She took his hand. "You know," she said, "I like it when we just talk like this. It's nice. And thanks for the advice; I really appreciate it."

She looked at the clock on his bedside table. "I should probably be getting back to the boardinghouse." She stood up and walked toward the door.

"Selina?" Tyler asked when she had her hand on the doorframe.

"What?" Selina asked, turning around.

"Can I kiss you?"

Selina stood in silence for a moment, then smiled at him. "Sure," she said. "One probably won't hurt anything."

He came toward her and she leaned forward, figuring that he was going to kiss her on the lips, but to her surprise, he opted for a very chaste touch of his lips to her forehead. When he backed away, she looked at him in surprise. "Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome," she replied, and telling the others goodbye, she left the house.

* * *

A couple hours later, Selina's cell phone rang. "Hello?" she said, picking it up.

"Hi, Selina," said the voice on the other end.

"Damon?" Selina asked. "Where in the world are you?"

"I'm at O'Neil's on 3rd and West Court. And your mother's with me."

"Wait a minute," Selina said, standing up. "O'Neil's? That's a bar!"

"Good for you for remembering that," Damon said dryly. "It's in fact the same bar I rescued you from the first time Tyler propositioned you."

"Yeah," Selina said. "I remember that. So what's Mama doing there? Has she told you? Or is she even capable of speech?"

"She can talk," Damon said. "But I suggest you get down here as soon as you possibly can. Do you remember where it is?"

"Yes," Selina said. "I will be there momentarily."

The streets were virtually empty, so Selina made it to O'Neil's in record time. Though the bar itself was crowded with people, once inside, it was not hard for Selina to spot Damon and her mother.

"Hi Mama," she said cautiously, sitting across from her mother in the booth.

"Hi, honey," her mother said. Her eyes were out of focus and she looked terrible.

"What happened after I left Tyler's house?" she asked. "Something terrible from the state of you. Or is this still about me?"

"A little bit of both," her mother replied. "Although, as far as you're concerned, I found a note from your father when I was looking for my house key this morning and it made me feel a lot better."

"Can I assume that Richard and family didn't react well to your announcing that you're a vampire?" Selina asked.

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "Now I remember why I wanted to steal away without telling anyone where I was going or why: because I knew they'd react just the way they did: 'what where you thinking?' 'How could you betray the family?' And it just went on and on and on."

"So you came here to drink and forget," Selina said sympathetically. "They had that effect on me too, at first. But you get used to it."

"When Selina first met Tyler I found her out here after a not-so-good experience," Damon said.

"Really?" Amelia asked, sniffling and looking at her daughter.

"Yeah," Selina nodded.

"And as for having difficulty getting used to the person Selina's become," Damon continued, "I had the same problem when we first got together."

"Did it take you awhile to get over?" Amelia asked.

"A little," Damon said. "I felt better about it after I got her out of here," Damon said. "Because seeing her here assured me that no matter how grown up and bold she seemed, there were still things she needed me to help her out of. That cheered me up immensely."

"The same thing can't be said about me I bet," Amelia said. "She's grown up now; what does she need her mother for?"

"There'll be a lot of things," Selina said. "Especially since Katherine has returned to Mystic Falls. We're going to need all the help we can get."

* * *

Soon after Selina left, Tyler headed over to Dr. Stensrund's house to meet Katherine. "Did Salvatore bring the blood?" he asked as soon as he got in the door?"

"Yeah," Katherine said. She grabbed the bowl of water that had Tyler's blood in it and dumped in Selina's, swirling it with a spoon. She looked over at Tyler and frowned. "What's with the look on your face?" she asked. "You don't want to give up on the plan now, do you?"

"No," Tyler shook his head. "Of course not. In fact, now I'm even more convinced that proceeding is the right thing to do. Selina came over to the house and we had a moment. She even let me kiss her."

"Isn't that sweet?" Katherine said sarcastically. "But it's good to know she's warming up to you on her own. That way the spell won't have to work so hard." She handed Tyler the spoon and told him to continue stirring. "By the way," she asked. "What is it about my sister that you find so appealing? I've always thought her a bit dull and boring. Do you think she's pretty?"

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "But it's not just that. There are more practical reasons that Grandfather Michael talked about too, and I agree with them."

"Such as?"

"Well," Tyler said, "Since your mother is a Lockwood, can I assume you know about our family's peculiarity?"

Katherine grinned. "You mean the werewolf thing?"

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "Selina has that in her too, and from what I've heard and seen, when it flares up, she can be pretty vicious."

"Oh," Katherine said. "You want to be with Selina not only because she's pretty, but also so you can help each other along when your time of the month comes."

"Yes," Tyler nodded. "But could you call it something else please?"

"Fine," Katherine rolled her eyes. "When the moon is full."

"Thank you," Tyler said. "Not only does that phrasing say exactly what you mean, but has the added bonus of having nothing to do with female bodily functions. And she needs someone who can help her control it properly. The last time she had an incident, five people ended up dead!"

"_Really?" _Katherine asked.

"Really," Tyler nodded. "And it's because Salvatore has no idea what the hell he's doing." He stopped stirring and looked into the bowl. "So what do we do now?" Tyler asked. "Is it time for you to do the spell?"

"I actually can't do the spell," Katherine said. "But Emily still has descendents around here, so it won't be difficult to get someone who can."


	12. Anti Miss Mystic Falls

It was the ringing of her cell phone on the bedside table that made Selina open her eyes the next morning. "Hello?" She said sleepily, opening it up.

"Hi Selina," said the voice on the other end. "It's Carol. I hope I didn't wake you."

"No," Selina yawned. "I'm perfectly alert, thank you."

"Who is it?" Damon whispered, looking at Selina intently.

"Carol," she mouthed, taking the phone away from her ear and then putting the phone back so they could continue talking. "What can I do for you?" She asked.

"I've just been speaking with your mother," Mrs. Lockwood said, "and we've got a little surprise for you. Would you be willing to stop by the house so we can tell you all about it?"

Selina's heart sank. Except in a few cases, she didn't like surprises. "Sure," she said after a minute. "I'll be right over."

"Now what's the matter with you?" Damon asked. "Bad telephone call?"

"Maybe," Selina shrugged, shoving the white comforter and sheet aside. "Carol says that she and Mama have been talking and that they have a 'surprise' for me. Sounds a little ominous, don't you think?"

"Now, tell me again why you don't like surprises?" Damon said.

"It's quite simple, really," Selina said as she stripped off her pajamas. "Last time Mama told me she had a 'surprise' for me it was that she'd volunteered me to be part of that silly Miss Mystic Falls pageant. But, thanks to Dr. Stensrund, I ended up not having to take part in it at all—oh, my God."

"What?" Damon asked, getting out of bed to come and stand next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"That's it," Selina said, turning around quickly. "That's the surprise. Mama and Carol have been talking about getting me signed up for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant behind my back."

"You could be wrong," Damon told her smoothly. "It could be something totally different."

Selina scoffed as she put on a black leather miniskirt. "I doubt it," she said. "With Mama in her current mood, this is just the thing she'd try and pull." Standing in her bra and skirt, Selina headed into the closet to root around for her black ankle boots; she found them last after throwing every other pair of shoes she owned aside and zipped them up.

"What shirt do you want?" Damon asked as she came out of the closet.

"That green one there," Selina said, gesturing to a plain green blouse on top of the pile in her dresser drawer. She put it on quickly, grabbed her car keys, and headed out the door. "Oh," Selina said, turning with her hand on the doorframe, "if it turns out I'm right, I'll probably be in a very bad mood when I get back; just a heads up for you."

Damon nodded and watched her go, then left the room himself and headed for the living room, where he found Stefan and Elena staring at the television even though it was off.

"What's wrong with Selina?" Elena asked. "She sure left here in a huff."

"Carol Lockwood called and said that she and Amelia had a surprise for my darling wife," Damon said dryly. "And you know how Selina feels about surprises."

"How does she feel?" Elena asked.

"She _hates_ them," Stefan said. "Ever since her mother told her that Selina was going to take part in the first Miss Mystic Falls pageant."

"And _that's_ what Selina thinks the surprise is," Damon said, taking a seat next to Elena so that she was sitting between them on the worn brown couch. "She warned me that she might be in a bad mood when she gets back, so prepare yourselves."

* * *

Selina parked her car in the driveway of the Lockwood mansion and hurried to meet her mother and Carol, who were sitting on the porch, waiting for her. "So what's the big surprise?" she asked.

"Well," Amelia began, "the festivities for Founder's Day are coming up, and we thought it would be nice if you assumed a role since you _are_ a member of a founding family."

"Two, as a matter of fact," Carol added.

"Sounds great," Selina said carefully. "What would I have to do?"

Carol shrugged. "Nothing too demanding. Just help Richard, Tyler and I greet people at the Founder's party and contribute an exhibit on the Warrens, assist the girls at school in making a float for the Founder's Day parade, and represent the Lockwoods in the Miss Mystic Falls pageant."

"What?" Selina said angrily standing up. "I knew this was coming!"

"Selina, honey," Amelia said quickly, "why don't you sit down and we'll talk about this like reasonable people. You obviously have some objections to appearing in the pageant and I'd like to know what they are."

Selina sat down and frowned at her mother. "You knew damn well when you started talking about this that I would have objections, Mama. I hated the idea of appearing in the pageant in 1864. 145 years hasn't changed my opinion on the matter."

"But what's the problem?" Amelia asked, looking dumbfounded. "You get to wear pretty dresses and dance and show people how beautiful you are."

Selina bit her lip and shook her head. "My God," she said quietly. "It's like Louisa Forbes' cotillion all over again!" She growled and brought her fist down on the table. "Man had been converted into the warrior, and clothed with sternness, and those other kindred qualities, which in common estimation belong to his character as a man; whilst woman has been taught to lean upon an arm of flesh, to sit as a doll arrayed in 'gold, and pearls, and costly array,' to be admired for her personal charms, and caressed and humored like a spoiled child, or converted into a mere drudge to suit the convenience of her lord and master. Thus have all the diversified relations of life been filled with 'confusion and every evil work.' This principle has given to man a charter for the exercise of tyranny and selfishness, pride and arrogance, lust and brutal violence. It has robbed woman of essential rights, the right to think and speak and act on all great moral questions, just as men think and speak and act; the right to share their responsibilities, perils and toils; the right to fulfill the great end of her being, as a moral, intellectual and immortal creature, and of glorifying god in her body and her spirit which are His," Selina said angrily, her voice shaking.

"What in the world are you saying?" Amelia asked. "And where did you hear something like that?"

"It's from 'Letter XII on Human Rights Not Founded on Sex' by Angelina Grimke," Selina said. "She and her sister Sarah were early feminists. If you were more open-minded, then maybe you would have read it when I had it lying around."

"And what does this have to do with your not wanting to be in the pageant?" Carol asked.

"Well, I think that's obvious," Selina shot back. "I refuse to be paraded around like breeding stock in a silly dress I'm only going to wear once just so that other people can decide my personal worth."

"It's not like that at all," Amelia said.

"Oh, really?" Selina asked. "Then what's it like?"

Amelia locked eyes with her daughter. "If you do this for me, I won't ask you to do anything ever again. Heck, I might even leave town afterward."

"Really?" Selina asked. "Do you promise to never ask me to act like some overly-feminine girly-girl ever again?"

"Yes," Amelia said, nodding.

Selina leaned back in the chair and sighed. "All right then," she sighed. "I suppose if it's only just this once, then I'll do it. But I won't like it."

Amelia smiled and put a hand on Selina's. "You never know," she said. "You just might."

* * *

When Selina opened the door to the boardinghouse and headed inside, the first thing she noticed was Stefan, Elena and Damon, sitting on the brown couch in the main living room, looking tense.

"So," Stefan said, trying to keep his tone light. "What did Mrs. Lockwood want with you?"

"Exactly what I thought," Selina said. "I'm now officially entered in the Miss Mystic Falls pageant."

"And how do _you_ feel about it?" Elena asked.

Selina grabbed a small vase off the coffee table and threw it down hard on the floor so that it shattered and the floor was littered with green and teal pieces of pottery.

"What did you do that for?" Stefan asked. "That was an antique!"

"_What?_" Selina asked, hoisting him up by his lapels and baring her teeth.

"It's okay, we have others," he said quickly. She dropped him and he missed the couch and fell hard on the floor.

"I'll be in my room if anyone wants me," Selina said, turning away from them and heading up the stairs.

"I told you she was going to be in a bad mood when she got back," Damon said to Stefan. "What did you have to go antagonize her for?"

"That was Mama's favorite vase," he exclaimed. "Someone had to stick up for it."

"So," Elena said. "Who wants to go upstairs and try to calm her down?"

Damon and Stefan looked at one another and shook their heads. "Fine," Elena said, "I'll go and do it." She got off the couch and headed toward the stairs.

"If you're not back soon," Stefan called after her, "We might just assume that Selina's killed you."

"Don't worry," Elena said, turning around," that isn't going to happen. I'll get through to her, I promise."

* * *

"So," Tyler was at Dr. Stensrund's with Katherine once again. "Can I assume that you mean to kidnap Bonnie Bennett and get her to do the spell for you?"

"Duh," Katherine said. "Good for you for figuring it out."

"But how are we going to get her here?" Tyler asked. "It would be stupid to just go up to her front door and take her in broad daylight."

"And yet, you and Michael did that with my sister," Katherine said dryly. "And what a surprise; you failed miserably."

"Not _that_ miserably," Tyler protested. "We got her to the tomb."

"But she didn't end up marrying Michael, did she? So you failed," Katherine said. "I plan to be much more subtle."

"How?" Tyler asked.

Katherine grinned slowly and stuck her hand under his shirt, running her hands up and down the muscles of his back. "I've heard from Isobel that her daughter Elena bears a striking resemblance to me. I'm going to use that bit of information to gain Miss Bennett's trust. If she thinks I'm her best friend wanting a favor, then she'll be less likely to object."

Tyler was breathing heavily. It took a little while, but he finally managed to find his voice. "Where are you planning to enact this genius scheme of yours?" he asked.

Katherine stepped away from him and went to one of the drawers of the desk, pulling out a flyer on light blue paper and printed in black ink. "The Miss Mystic Falls Pageant," she said grandly.

"Yeah?" Tyler frowned. "What about it?"

"I'm going to take Elena's place," Katherine spoke as if she were talking to a child. "Do I need to explain anymore?"

"All right," Tyler said. "So on the day of the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, you're going to impersonate Elena Gilbert so you can lure Bonnie Bennett here and get her to perform the spell that will make your sister want to be joined with me for all time and never think of anyone else ever again."

"Yes," Katherine nodded. "It's the perfect plan."

"Except for one slight snafu," Tyler told her. "My mother and yours got Selina to sign up for the pageant. She'll be able to see through you in a second."

"Not if I'm careful," Katherine said, swirling the bloody water in the bowl that she'd just gotten from the fridge. "I'm not too worried about Selina. Besides, it's been awhile since I've seen my dear sister, and it's about time I let her know I was here, don't you think?"


	13. Legacies

Elena headed up the stairs and stopped outside Selina's door, rapping on it lightly with the back of her hand. "Can I come in?" she asked.

"Sure," Selina replied from inside. "Whatever. I don't really care."

Elena opened the door and stood in the doorway, looking at what she had to work with. Selina had tucked herself into bed with the covers up to her chin. Her head moved slightly and her eyes met Elena's.

"Hi," she said. "What do you want?"

"I just came up here to check on you," Elena said, advancing into the room and getting on her knees next to Selina's bed. "You seemed pretty upset downstairs. If you want to talk, I'm here to listen."

Selina stared at her in silence for a moment, then sighed, shoved the blankets off her body and sat up in bed. "It's the pageant," she said. "The pageant and everything I have to do to get ready for Founder's Day."

"Is it stressing you out?" Elena asked.

"Well, yes." Selina nodded. "Carol says I have to help her and family host the Founder's party, as well as getting things for the exhibit at the party to represent the Warrens, help you guys make up floats for the parade _and_ compete for Miss Mystic Falls."

"Wow," Elena said. "That seems like she's asking a lot."

"I know," Selina said. "And she made it seem like she wasn't asking for anything at all. Isn't that awful?"

"I admit she may underestimate the amount of commitment for what she's asking, but it's not impossible," Elena said. "I can help you."

"Really?" Selina asked.

"Sure," Elena shrugged and smiled. "Let's start by going to your mother's later today to look for stuff to contribute to the exhibit."

"All right," Selina said. "Sounds like a plan."

Elena stood up. "If it's not too personal a question, what have you got against the pageant anyway?"

"Oh," Selina said, standing up. "I just, well—"

"Like I said," Elena said quickly. "If it's too personal, you don't have to tell me."

Selina shook her head. "Well, actually, it's about time I told somebody."

"Does it have to do with something that happened at the first pageant?" Elena asked. "Do you have bad pageant memories?"

"No," Selina said. "The original pageant happened after I was turned. My deal with the pageant has absolutely nothing to do with the pageant itself, but what we as contestants specifically have to _do_ during it."

Elena's eyebrows knitted. "You're against wearing dresses and dancing and doing work to improve the community?"

Selina scoffed. "Don't talk like that," she snapped. "You sound just like my mother and she's completely clueless."

"Well, if you don't tell her when something's wrong," Elena returned, "of course she's going to be clueless!"

"Anyway," Selina said loudly, clearing her throat, _"the event that made me oppose everything that women must do in a pageant happened when I was fourteen years old. Louisa Forbes was having her coming out ball and Mama suggested I come with her to see what the Forbes family had done so that I could have some idea about what to do when my turn came. We entered the Forbes house and Louisa immediately came to greet us. Her hair was up and she wore a blue silk gown that I've always thought would have looked better on me._

"S_he invited us to eat, drink and be merry. While Mama chatted with Louisa's mother and the sheriff, I slipped away to see if I could find an intelligent way to amuse myself. After half an hour of looking however, I found nothing and resigned myself to go back into the house and make meaningless chitchat with people I didn't know or didn't care for. It took all I had to keep my smile on and not run screaming from the room. _

"_Louisa as the guest of honor was always in the company of one handsome man or another. They would whisper things to her and she would giggle and hit them lightly on the shoulder with her fan, telling them 'don't be so silly.' I watched her with silent contempt. She was just trying to find the richest man who would have her so she could spend the rest of her life spending all his money and sucking the life out of him._

"_When I'd finally had all I could stand, I made my way to one of the French doors that would let me outside for some air. When I reached it, I saw that Louisa's admirers had congregated in the yard and were talking. I put my hand on the door and nudged it open a little more so I could hear what they were saying._

" '_I know this party is for Louisa Forbes,' one of them, a man with light brown hair and a blue riding jacket clutching a glass of brandy said, 'but you have to admit there are so many better options.'_

'_Yes,' another one agreed. 'Anyone who's spent more than five seconds with Louisa knows how much she nags. Can you imagine having to listen to her at the breakfast table every single morning for the rest of your life?'_

'_It wouldn't have to be forever,' the one with the brandy corrected. 'You only have to put up with her until she bears you a son, maybe two. Then, you can send her to live with your mother in the country and you need never see her again.'_

'_I wouldn't even marry her for that,' said a man named James McPherson, who was a friend of Michael's. 'I'd rather wait a couple of years for a sure thing.'_

'_Meaning who?' asked another voice, whose body was hidden from me._

'_Meaning Selina Warren,' James said._

'_Michael's cousin?' asked the other boys in surprise._

'_Of course,' James nodded easily. 'She's a meek little thing. I could do whatever I wanted with her and she wouldn't interfere. Plus, she's _much _richer than Louisa. She'll have the entire Warren fortune come to her when she turns eighteen, besides whatever she gets from the Lockwoods, which will be something indeed.'_

'_But doesn't Selina have some sort of understanding with Giuseppe Salvatore's oldest son?' the man with the brandy asked._

'_You could say that,' James answered. 'But old man Salvatore is very enthusiastic about his son going off to war. It's highly likely that Damon will die while fighting, leaving Selina in need of someone else to watch over her. I think I'll go have a chat with her uncle Charles tomorrow and see if we can't make up some sort of deal.'_

"_At that moment, I'd turned away, shutting the door, not caring if the noise it made betrayed my presence. When I was sure there was no one around to hear me, I sat down next to the door and burst into tears. By the time Mama found me and told me that we were going home, I'd managed to calm down. I also vowed never to tell anyone about what I heard, and you're the first person other than myself to know what happened there."_

"Oh, my God," Elena said. "That's horrible! No wonder you don't like the thought of being judged. Those guys were talking about you as if you were a dining room table or a couch they could buy!"

"Or a tissue they would use and throw away when they were finished," Selina added.

"Yeah," Elena nodded. "That definitely seems more apt. Why are you doing the pageant when you have a legitimate reason to hate it?"

"Well," Selina sighed. "When Mama was talking to me about it, she said everything with that face of hers that was trying to convince me that everything would be awesome and I would have the best time in the world. I wanted to say no, but I felt I owed her after the fight we had on the way back from the cemetery."

Elena nodded. "I know how you feel," she said. "I'm going to be in the pageant too. My mother did Miss Mystic and she had the same enthusiasm for it that your mother does."

"Really?" Selina asked. "Are you looking forward to it?"

Elena shrugged. "I used to be, but not anymore. Now it just seems like something that I _have_ to do, rather than something that I want to do."

"Then why are you doing it?" Selina asked.

"For the same reason you are," Elena said simply. "Because I love my mother."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. "Is everything okay in there?" Stefan called. "Or do we need to break up a fight and attend to wounds?"

"We're fine," Elena called. "We've just been talking. You can come in if you want."

Stefan and Damon cautiously entered the room. "Is everything okay?" Stefan asked again.

"Yeah," Selina nodded, standing up. "Sorry about what I did to you downstairs, Stefan. Are you okay?"

He nodded. "A few bruises, but otherwise unscathed."

Damon was looking at Selina intently. "Are you sure you're all right?" he asked. "It seems like you've got something on your mind."

Selina looked at Elena. "Do you think I should tell him?" she asked. "Or do you think it would just upset him?"

"You should tell him," Elena urged her. "Stefan and I will go downstairs so the two of you can have some privacy."

"What do you have to tell me?" Damon asked as soon as they were alone. "Is it something bad?"

"Kind of," Selina said. "It has to do with why I'm opposed to being in the pageant. See, right after I moved in with you guys, Mama dragged me to Louisa Forbes's coming out party, and while I was there, I heard Michael's friend James and a bunch of his buddies plotting to commandeer me should you go off to war and die."

"Commandeer you?" Damon said, his voice shaking with rage.

"Yeah," Selina said. "You know, spend my money, get me pregnant, have me bear his sons and then send me off to the country to live in lonely isolation with his mother so he could do whatever the hell he wanted and I wouldn't be around to interfere."

Damon stared at her in silence for a moment, his breathing ragged. Then, with a loud grunt, he plowed his fist into the wall, leaving a large hole. "I think I need to go kill someone now," he said after a moment. "Do you want to join me?"

Selina took his hand. "I have to go to my mother's house with Elena to do Founder's Day stuff, but don't think I don't _love _the idea."

Damon kissed her hand. "Take care of yourself," he said before leaping out the window.

A few minutes later, Elena came into the room. "We heard a crash," she said. "Can I assume you told him? What did he think?"

Selina pointed at the hole in the wall. "_That's_ what he thought."

* * *

Selina and Elena took Stefan's car to Amelia's. "Let me guess," Amelia said when she came running out to greet them, "You're here to get stuff for the Founder's display."

"Yes," Selina said. "Now, why can't _you_ just give Carol everything?"

"Because she wants _you _to," Amelia answered. "Besides, I'm not going to the Founder's party."

"_What_?" Selina asked. "Why in the world not? You're entitled to."

"I know that," Amelia said. "But if I go, I might give myself away. Wouldn't people think it was weird if the English teacher who was new in town just showed up at the Founder's party?"

"You have a point there," Selina said. "Now, any suggestions about what I should bring?"

"Well," Amelia said, "Carol specifically requested your father's old uniform. But I have a few other things you might like."

She disappeared for a moment and when she returned, she was carrying a large wooden box.

"Do you need some help with that?" Elena asked, hurrying over to help her.

"No," Amelia shook her head. "I'll be all right, thanks."

"What _is_ all this?" Selina asked once her mother had gotten the box on the kitchen table.

"One of the boxes of Warren family keepsakes; you know, heirloom jewelry, diaries, old letters, stuff like that. Your father meant me to give it to you when you were old enough, but with one thing and another I just never got around to it."

"Is this all _mine?_" Selina asked in wonder as she opened the box and pulled out a necklace covered with diamonds and the matching earrings.

"Yep," Amelia nodded. "In one of the other boxes there's a book that your father and Uncle Andrew wrote that explains about each artifact; its history and prior ownership and that sort of thing. They literally started it the day you were born. I guess they figured that with your father going off to war and all, we probably wouldn't have anymore children."

"Where _is_ the box with the book in it?" Elena asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Amelia ran her fingers through her hair which, although it was still short, was now back to blonde. "It's around here somewhere. You can go look for it if you want. It might take you a while to find it, though."

"That's no trouble," Elena said. "We've got time."

As soon as she was gone, Amelia looked at Selina. "Dear, have a seat," she said seriously. "As long as we're discussing family legacy, there's something you and I haven't addressed."

"The werewolf thing?" Selina asked.

"Yeah," Amelia nodded. "How much do you know about it?"

Selina shrugged. "Not much. I just always thought it was a bit strange that I was always really angry when the full moon was out. I've killed some over the years, and that's when it's always been. But I never understood much of anything until Daddy began dropping hints."

"Dropping hints?" Amelia asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Selina said, "when he was here, there was a full moon one night, and while I didn't kill anyone _that_ time, I did get so angry that I knocked Stefan out cold and crushed the locket Damon gave me when we got engaged.

"What did they do to make you angry?" Amelia asked.

"They lied to me," Selina said. "It's a little complicated to explain if you weren't there. Anyway, after I got back to the house, Daddy ordered me to go up to my room and planned to lock me in for the rest of the night, but then I told him I hadn't eaten yet, so he took me out into the woods and wouldn't let me have anything stronger than a rabbit. He said that you always acted weird around full moons too. That you had mood swings that would mysteriously disappear the next day with you acting as if nothing had happened."

"Yep," Amelia nodded. "That's how it is with us. The darker side of being a Lockwood."

"How did it happen?" Selina asked. "How did we end up having the potential to become werewolves? Do you know?"

"Well," Amelia thought a moment. "I believe it was my grandfather who started it all. He was fighting on the side of the British during the Revolution, and one night he found himself lost in the woods. He decided to camp out, and while he was sleeping a wolf attacked him."

"Do you think it was working for the patriots?" Selina asked.

Amelia frowned. "Selina, don't joke. This is very serious!"

Selina's face became blank. "You're right; I'm sorry, Mama."

"Anyway," Amelia continued, "After he was attacked, some of the men from his unit found him. They saw his wounds and assumed that he'd been shot up by patriots. He was looking pretty bad, so they sent him back home to Atlanta and the papers reported a rash of wolf attacks on people in the weeks following his return."

"But _he_ was never identified as the wolf, was he?" Selina asked.

Amelia shook her head. "He was either smart enough, or lucky enough, to live out his life without getting caught. And when he had kids, unbeknownst to him, he passed the werewolf virus on and that's how it's been ever since."

"But Uncle Jacob was the only one to embrace it, right?" Selina asked.

"Right," Amelia nodded. "Men usually do, I think," Amelia said. "Even if I _could_ take advantage of our little family legacy, I wouldn't want to. It seems so _savage_." She shuddered. "And thank goodness Jacob was the only one."

Selina thought it would be best not to tell her mother what she'd helped Tyler do earlier in the year; if her mother knew that she had assisted Tyler with his transformation, it just might drive her over the edge.

"I found the book," Elena said suddenly, coming back.

"Oh, good," Amelia said.

The three of them looked through the book together. "All of this is so fascinating," Elena said.

"I can't believe Daddy and Uncle Andrew wrote all this up just for me," Selina agreed.

"I'm sure he would have gone through it with you sometime if things had turned out differently," Amelia said.

Selina shut the book and put it beside the box on the kitchen table, looking at her mother and Elena. "So," she said. "You said Carol specifically requested the uniform. How many other pieces did she want?"

"Two, I think," Amelia said.

Selina and Elena chose Matthew's mother's engagement ring and the journal that his grandfather had kept during the Revolution as the other two items and then Selina helped her mother put the box and book in the back of Stefan's car. "It's all yours now," Amelia said simply. "It won't do you any good sitting in this house gathering dust."

* * *

When Selina and Elena arrived back at the boardinghouse, they stashed the book and box under Selina and Damon's bed, then met with Stefan in the kitchen. "Damon's not back yet," he said.

"I didn't think he would be," Selina replied. "After what we talked about, I think he needed some time to cool down."

A few minutes later, however, Damon came strolling into the kitchen. "Hello, everyone," he said cheerfully. "Selina, Elena, how did things go at Amelia's?"

"Great," Selina said. "We found the stuff for the exhibit and Mama gave me a bunch of heirlooms that Daddy meant for me to have. The box is in our room along with a book that explains what everything is."

"Great," Damon said. He looked at Selina. "As long as we're talking about family heirlooms you're supposed to have, do you want to come up to the attic with me? I've got a surprise for you."

"Is it a good surprise?" Selina asked.

"Yeah," Damon replied.

"Can we come too, or is this something that's just between the two of you?" Stefan asked.

"Sure," Damon said. "Come along, feel free." He led the three of them up to the attic of the boardinghouse, which was dark, dusty and filled wall to wall with bric-a-brac so that there was hardly room to move without tripping over something.

"There's a Salvatore family heirloom up _here?"_ Selina asked skeptically once Damon got the lights on.

"No," Damon shook his head. "It's downstairs."

"Then what are we doing up here?" Selina asked.

"Having a little history lesson," Damon said. He led them to a corner of the attic where a painting of a regal-looking young woman with black hair and blue eyes hung. She was wearing a green ball gown and around her neck was an elaborate necklace made of silver and lapis lazuli.

"It looks like she's wearing the Hope Diamond," Selina said as she looked at it. "She's beautiful. Who is she?" Selina's eyes traveled to the bottom of the painting where she saw the title: _Stella De Celli Salvatore, 1487_.

"1487?" Elena said in surprise.

"Remember I told you that our family's been around since the Renaissance?" Stefan asked. "We lived in Italy back then."

"And we were nobility," Damon added. He sighed. "How times change."

"So who's Stella?" Selina asked.

"She was the second owner of the heirloom necklace," Damon said. "It originally belonged to her mother-in-law, but when Stella and the Salvatore that she married reached their understanding, he gave it to her to seal their engagement."

"Just like you did with me and the locket," Selina said, looking at Damon. Then her gaze returned to the picture. "You know, she kind of looks like me."

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "That's what I've always thought."

"So what happened to Stella?" Elena asked. "Did she and the Salvatore she married have kids and live long, happy lives?"

"Well," Damon said, "they had kids, but then both Selina and the Salvatore she married died when the children were young."

"Poor them," Elena said.

"Stella gave the necklace to her brother and made him promise to give it to her son's wife, and the tradition continued from then on."

The four of them headed downstairs. Stefan and Elena left to go get coffees and Damon led Selina into their bedroom. "Here," he said, taking an ancient-looking box from behind a hidden door in their closet that Selina had never noticed before. "This is for you."

Selina opened it and gasped. Sitting in the box was indeed the necklace that Stella Salvatore was wearing in her portrait. "It's beautiful," Selina breathed.

"Do you need help putting it on?" Damon asked.

"Sure," Selina said.

They got it on, and then he said, "the stone just happens to be lapis lazuli, so you can get rid of Dr. Stensrund's ring if you want."

Selina nodded. "I'll take it off, but I won't get rid of it. It never hurts to have backup, you know."


	14. The Third Man

Selina decided to spend the evening before the Founder's party with her mother. "There are some things I need to explain to her," she told Damon, "and I think the best way to do it is to talk with her when we're alone."

"What kind of things?" Damon asked.

Selina shrugged. "Just things she needs to know that I haven't told her about, like my suicide attempt the day you left, and what happened at Louisa Forbes's party."

Damon nodded. "…Which just happens to be connected to the reason why you made a suicide attempt in the first place. I think it's a good idea. Do you want me to drive you over?"

"Sure," Selina said. "I don't have any specific time I want to leave, so we can just go whenever."

"Get packed up," Damon told her. "Then we'll go."

While Selina was packing, Damon went to join Stefan in the living room. The latter was deeply absorbed in the news, and started as Damon sat down next to him.

"You see that?" Stefan asked him, gesturing at a news story about a mutilated hiker that had been found out on the side of the highway. "You didn't have anything to do with it, did you?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did," Damon said.

Stefan felt the muscles in his neck tighten. "Would you mind telling me _why_?" he asked through his teeth. "If you want us to be conspicuous, killing people isn't the way to do it."

"I had my reasons," Damon said. "He happened to catch me at a _very bad_ moment. I did what I had to do."

"You didn't have to do anything!" Stefan snapped. "Can't you exercise the least bit of self-control? Or is it that you are all you care about? The police have already caught and tried to kill Selina once; if it happens again, she might not be so lucky. How about you try thinking of _her_ before going out and killing somebody, huh?"

"I _was _thinking of her," Damon said quietly. "If I hadn't been, I probably wouldn't have done it."

"What?" Stefan asked.

"Do you know why Selina's so opposed to doing the pageant?" Damon asked.

"No," Stefan snapped off the television and shook his head. "Would you tell me?"

Damon took a deep breath. "Shortly after she moved in with us," he began, "her mother insisted that Selina accompany her to Louisa Forbes's coming out party. During the party, Selina got wind of a plot by some of Michael's friends to take possession of her and her money if I should go off to war and be killed."

"Seriously?" Stefan asked. "Do you think that's why she was so upset in the days leading up to your departure?"

"That was one of the reasons, I think," Damon agreed. "Can you believe she had to listen to something like that?"

"No," Stefan shook his head. "That must have been horrible for her. And probably almost as bad for you to have to hear about."

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "So you can forgive me for wanting to blow off a little steam."

"I guess," Stefan conceded.

"What are you guys talking about?" Selina asked, coming down the stairs with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder.

"We were just discussing a story on the news," Stefan said quickly.

"Oh," Selina said, looking a little disappointed. "All right then." She looked up at Damon. "I'm ready to go if you are," she said, hefting the bag.

"Where are you two going?" Stefan asked. "Another road trip?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "The Founder's party is tomorrow, and there are some things I feel my mother needs to hear about that are best said in private."

"Oh," Stefan said. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yes you will," Selina agreed. "Though not bright and early; my personal philosophy is against bright and early." She turned away from him and went toward the front door, with Damon following close behind. "I should be back in a little while," he said over his shoulder.

When they arrived at Amelia's house, she was standing on the porch waiting for them, bathed in light that came from the lamps on either side of the door. "You made it," she said. "I wondered if you were going to come or not."

"What made you so sure I would?" Selina asked.

"No particular reason," Amelia replied. "I just had this feeling that there was something on your mind."

"That's a bit of an understatement," Selina said. "I do have a lot to tell you, and I'd like to get it off my chest before the Founder's party tomorrow."

"I hate to spoil the moment," Damon broke in, "but Selina, what would you like me to do with your duffel?"

"Oh!" Selina said, turning around to face him."I'm so sorry, here, let me help you with that."

The three of them went into the house and put the duffel on one of the chairs around the kitchen table. "Do you want to stay for a little while?" Selina asked Damon. "Or do you just want to be on your way?"

"I guess I could stay for a little while," Damon said, sitting down at the table next to Selina.

"Do you want a drink?" Amelia asked.

Damon eyed her for a moment. "No, thanks. I think I'd rather just talk."

"All right," Amelia said, deflating a little.

Damon looked up at Selina. "If you want me for moral support, I'll stay."

"Actually," Selina told him, "That's not a bad idea."

"Moral support?" Amelia asked, "why would you need moral support? Has something terrible happened?"

"No," Selina took a deep breath and shook her head. "I think it's about time I told you why I was so against being in the pageant. You deserve those stories."

"All right," Amelia said. "Tell me what you feel you can."

Selina wiped her eyes. "All right," she began, "remember when I was fourteen and you told me that I should come with you to Louisa Forbes's party?"

"Yes," Amelia nodded.

"Well," Selina continued, clearing her throat, "while you were talking to Louisa's mother and the sheriff, I was wandering around the house looking for someone intelligent to talk to, but had no such luck. And just as I was about to go outside to get some air, I heard Michael's friend James and some of the other men talking about marriage prospects. James that said instead of going after Louisa, he would wait the four years until I came of age, and then he was planning on marrying me."

"From the sound of your voice, I'm going to assume that his reasoning didn't include wanting you for your charming personality," Amelia said dryly.

"Nope," Selina shook her head. "It was mainly for my money. That and the fact that I was a quiet little thing who would have no objection to James running my life."

"But he must have known about the understanding you had with Damon," Amelia reasoned. "Or if he didn't know about it, I bet he was deterred once he found out."

Selina gave Damon a look. "Do you want to field this one?" she asked him.

"Sure," Damon nodded and clasped his hands in his lap. "James, as well as everyone else, was aware of my father's enthusiastic support for the Confederacy, and how much he wanted to see me go off to war should the need arise. Young Mr. McPherson assumed that when I went off to war, I would die and then Selina would need someone to take care of her and her money. He was all too happy to fill the position he assumed would be vacant."

"Sounds just like what happened with me, your father, and Robert," Amelia said gloomily. "I'm glad James didn't pursue his plans."

Selina gasped. "I never thought of it being like what happened with you and Daddy and Mr. Pierce, but you're right, and that makes the situation even more horrifying."

Amelia shuddered. "The thought of you being married to a man like James McPherson who would use you like that just makes my skin crawl."

"Mine too," Selina agreed, "which was exactly why I tried to commit suicide the day he shipped out."

"Way to break it to her gently, sweetheart," Damon said through his teeth.

"I'm sorry," Selina replied, "but what exactly _is _a good way to tell your mother that you were once suicidal?"

"There isn't one really," Amelia said. "But the best way is to just get it out in the open like you did."

"You aren't mad?" Selina said in surprise.

"No, honey." Amelia shook her head. "Why should I be mad at you for wanting to end a life that would only have guaranteed you misery? Remember, when I was married to Mr. Pierce, I almost killed myself several times. What stopped you from doing it, though?"

Selina laughed. "My handsome soldier turned up in his uniform at exactly right moment."

Amelia managed a small smile. "That was certainly lucky," she said.

Selina looked up at the clock. "That's strange," she said. "I was planning to stay all night because I thought getting all this out would be difficult, but it was actually surprisingly simple." She looked at Damon. "And I think I know why that was," she said, squeezing his hand. "Thanks for staying."

"No problem," he said. "So, even though you did what you came to do in record time, do you still want to spend the night?"

"Well," Selina said, "Why not? I mean, I'm all ready packed and all. If that's all right with you, Mama."

"Of course," Amelia said graciously. "You don't even have to ask."

* * *

After the too-brief time at her mother's, Selina slogged through the next day, and when evening came around, she decided to rebel against the Founder's party.

"What's going on with you?" Damon asked. "Why aren't you dressed for the party? I've been making inane small talk with Tyler for a very long time because you aren't down there like you're supposed to be!"

"I'm sorry," Selina said, turning over on her stomach. She was wearing a pair of old gray sweats and her hair was a tangled mess. "I've decided to rebel against the Founder's party, so feel free to send Tyler away."

Damon smirked. "You can't rebel against the Founder's party. You promised that you'd be there. Besides, if you don't go, who's my date going to be?"

Selina sat up. She hadn't noticed before, but now she saw that he was nicely turned out in a tux, and he looked really good. "You look really good," she breathed.

"Thank you," he said. "And I don't want to hurt your feelings, but you look like hell. Do you want me to help you get fixed up? If I leave it up to you, you're going to be later than you already are."

"Oh, all right," Selina told him, jumping off the bed. "But you have to pick something good. I can't go in looking like crap."

He eyed her again. "Trust me dear," he said dryly, "_anything _would be an improvement compared to the getup you've got on now."

Rolling her eyes, she sat on the bed. "Dazzle me," she said simply.

He stepped into her closet and after rotating some items came out with an armload of stuff. "First," he said, "let's start with a little black dress. It makes you look good, but it's not too flashy." He threw it at her, and although she reached out to catch it, she missed and it crumpled on the floor at her feet. Frowning, she picked it up, went into the closet and came back out again a few minutes later wearing the dress. "Will you zip me up?" she asked.

"With pleasure," he said.

"So what's next?" she asked.

"Next, I was thinking this scarf would be nice. You got it last Christmas and you never wear it." the scarf was purple with a pattern of black diamonds. She wound it around her neck. Then, she took a pair of diamond earrings from him, and slipped on a pair of black pumps, completing the outfit.

"What do you think?" she asked, spinning around.

"Not my best work," he said. "But it'll do in a pinch." Selina rolled her eyes. He was kidding, obviously.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Are you ready in there, Selina?" Tyler's voice called from the other side. "We need to get going. My mother is beginning to worry."

"Sorry," she called, grabbing a small clutch from her bedside table. "Coming. I'll see you in a bit, okay?" she whispered to Damon before she opened the door.

* * *

When Selina and Tyler pulled up to the Lockwood Mansion and headed inside, it immediately became apparent to Selina that Tyler hadn't been exaggerating about his mother. "What kept you?" she asked. "It took you so long to get here I thought something terrible had happened."

"No, Carol," Selina shook her head. "It was nothing terrible. Just a little wardrobe crisis. I'm sorry we worried you. Now, what can I help you with?"

"Well," Mrs. Lockwood replied, calming down, "there's not much more left to do. I just want you to take a look at the arrangement of the Warren artifacts and see if they look good to you."

Selina followed Mrs. Lockwood through the rooms full of items donated by members of the founding families until they reached the display she recognized so well. "It looks great," she said, gazing fondly at her father's old uniform and fingering the sleeve.

"I was so happy when your mother said she would let us use the uniform," Mrs. Lockwood said. "I mean, we meant to showcase it in the exhibit at the interment, but that didn't happen."

"Yeah," Selina said. "Anything else I can do?"

Mrs. Lockwood shook her head. "Not for me, no. But if you go find Richard, I think he can figure out something for you to do."

* * *

The sound of the doorbell nearly made Tyler loose his grip on a piece of pottery that had belonged to some great aunt of his. "Do you want me to go see who it is?" he asked his father.

"Sure," Mayor Lockwood replied.

Tyler wiped his hands on his pants and went to answer the door. When he opened it, the person on the other side made him start.

"Hey buddy," the man said with a rakish grin. "I haven't seen you in years."

Tyler smiled bitterly. "So the black sheep returns," he said. "What brings you back, Uncle Mason?"

The man stepped inside and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "I came because your father called and told me that Aunt Amelia's body has been found. I wanted to come and pay my respects."

"Oh," Tyler said. "We found Aunt Amelia all right. She's definitely been found."

A sound in the hall made Mason start, and Tyler turn around quickly. "Sorry," Selina said quickly. "Tyler, I was just looking for your father. Your mom said he might have ways to make myself useful."

"And he does," Tyler said. "But he's in another part of the house."

"Oh," Selina said. She turned to go, and then Mason said "aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Tyler?"

"Oh, right," Tyler said. "Uncle Mason, this is Sophia Warren. Sophia, this is my Uncle Mason."

"Your father's brother I presume?" Selina asked icily.

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Selina replied, still giving Mason a death glare. "Is it all right if I go now?"

"Sure," Tyler nodded. "Dad's just right through that archway," he pointed.

"Thank you," Selina said shortly, turning on her heel and then stomping away.

"She hasn't changed a bit," Mason said, laughing.

"You _know_ her?" Tyler asked.

"Of course I do," Mason said. "What I _don't _know is why you called her Sophia. That's not her name."

"It's an alias," Tyler explained. "So the people around don't really pick up on who she really is and she can move about safely."

"Oh," Mason nodded. "That's sensible." He paused. "So, are you in love with her?"

"Selina?" Tyler asked. "I admit she does have certain qualities I do find very attractive, but she's married, so it's not like I can do anything about my feelings."

"She's _married_?" Mason asked. "Since when?"

"A little bit ago," Tyler said. "She ran off to Vegas with Damon Salvatore."

Mason rolled his eyes. "Of course she did, damn him."

"So," Tyler said, "The only choice I have now is to just let the weird attraction I have for her go. Either that or be content with wild sex when the moon is full."

"You've slept with her?" Mason asked.

"Yes," Tyler nodded. "And it was one crazy night, let me tell you."

"Well," Mason said, "I hate to tell you this, but there's no way you can get rid of your feelings for Selina. They're always going to be there."

"Why is that?" Tyler asked. He paused. "It has something to do with great-grandfather Michael, doesn't it?"

Mason nodded. "That's correct. See, after Michael's father found out he was a vampire, and just before the mob trapped him under the church with the others, he made a deal with Emily Bennet. He'd seen Selina feeding on animals in the woods and he knew how miserable she was, so he asked Emily if she could do anything about that. He knew that once he was trapped, he would most likely never see daylight again, so Emily did a spell that would cause one male member of every generation of Lockwoods after Michael to fall in love with Selina. This man was then supposed to seek her out so that she wouldn't be lonely anymore and know that she was always loved."

"Seriously?" Tyler asked. "That sounds a little sappy, even for great-grandfather Michael."

"Well," Mason sighed. "In his own way, he loved her very much, even more then some others ever could."

"So, I'm the one from this generation who fulfilled the spell?" Tyler asked.

"You must be," Mason said.

"Are you too?" Tyler asked.

Mason nodded. "But I guess I already had my time. About ten years ago, a group of my friends dared me to go to Dr. Stensrund's house on Halloween to see if I could spot the Lady in Red. Most people only saw brief, flickering images of her, but I was the first one to see her as a flesh and blood being. When I found her, she was crying. She told me how lonely she was, and how it'd been years since she'd felt a man's touch."

"You slept with her too," Tyler said knowingly. "And you didn't have to do half the work that I did before she slept with me."

"Yeah," Mason laughed a little. "It was pretty great."

"So why does she hate you?" Tyler asked.

"Don't ask me," he shrugged. "I was thinking of finding out at the party tonight though." He grinned. "Maybe she'll let me make it up to her."

Tyler smirked. "Don't count on it," he said. "Her husband is her date to the party, and he's very possessive of her. Be prepared for a slap in the face or worse from either of them."

"That doesn't worry me," Mason shook his head, looking at the clock. "One hour until I make my move."


	15. The Founder's Party

Selina headed through the archway where she found Mayor Lockwood sorting through the Lockwood family artifacts. "Hi," she said. "I want to make myself useful. Need any help?"

"Hello, Selina," the mayor greeted her. "When did you get here?"

"I came with Tyler," Selina answered. "Carol recruited me to help out."

"Oh," he said, handing her a box of cards. "Would you make identification tags for the exhibits, please?" he asked.

"Sure," Selina nodded. She managed to find a pen and began making angry practice marks on a sheet of notebook paper.

"Are you all right?" Mayor Lockwood asked.

Selina put the pen down and looked up at him. "You heard the doorbell ring, didn't you?" she asked.

"Yes," Mayor Lockwood nodded. "You didn't happen to see who it was, did you? I sent Tyler to answer the door but he hasn't come back."

"It's your brother Mason," Selina told him. "Apparently, he got your phone call about Mama and has come to pay his respects."

"He actually decided to come?" the mayor asked in surprise. "I only let him know as a courtesy. I didn't actually think he was going to do anything about it."

"Well, he did," Selina said. "In fact, he and Tyler are probably talking right now." She stood up. "Do you want to go and say hello?"

Mayor Lockwood stood up and sighed. "I probably should. Everyone else has."

Selina followed him back to the entryway where Mrs. Lockwood, Tyler and Mason were still standing.

"Hello, Mason," Mayor Lockwood greeted his brother. "I didn't expect you to come back here."

Mason shrugged. "When I heard that you all had finally found Aunt Amelia, how could I not?"

Mayor Lockwood nodded. "I'll show you her grave marker sometime." Then, he turned to Selina. "Have the two of you met?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Tyler introduced us in the hall."

Mayor Lockwood blinked and nodded. "Yes, of course; what was I thinking?"

They stood in silence for a moment, and then Selina followed Mayor Lockwood back to where they had been working before and continued writing up labels for the exhibits.

"Is your mother coming?" Mayor Lockwood asked suddenly.

Selina shook her head and finished a label with a flourish. "Since no one is supposed to know who she really is, she thought it would be a little weird to suddenly show up at the Founder's party. Besides, after your chilly reception of her when she told you about what happened with my father, I'm surprised she still wants to have anything to do with you at all."

Mayor Lockwood frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well," Selina said, "she told me what happened after I left; how you guys all yelled her for 'betraying the family' by running off with a vampire and becoming one herself. Do you have any idea what her life was like before Daddy came back for her?"

"Well, no." Mayor Lockwood admitted.

"Well," Selina snapped. "It wasn't good, and I would think you'd be a little more supportive of her decision to allow herself a little happiness."

"But if you recall," Mayor Lockwood countered, "her family told her _not_ to marry Robert Pierce in the first place, and yet she did anyway, so really all the misery she suffered is her own fault."

"Oh, please," Selina scoffed. "No one deserved to go through what Mama did. Things were different for women back then. If she would have lived the rest of her life without a husband, she would have been shunned. She was only looking for a little security."

"Come on, Selina," Mayor Lockwood said smoothly. "Don't you ever resent your mother for marrying a man who abused you and forced you into a second-class life of servitude?"

Selina opened her mouth to make another scathing reply, but stopped. "Maybe sometimes," she said finally. "I mean, you're right when you say that she could have married someone else besides Mr. Pierce. It wasn't like there weren't other men, nicer men who wanted Mama's hand." She sighed. "But it wasn't really my decision and I didn't think it was my place to question."

"Well," Mayor Lockwood said, "maybe you should have. It might have done the two of you a lot of good."

Selina put the pen down and stood up. "I've finished all the display cards," she said. "Now I think I'll go before you can attempt to turn me against my mother anymore."

She strode out and ran into Mason, who was loitering in the hallway. "Hang on there," he said, taking hold of her before she fell. "Are you okay?"

Selina stared up at him for a moment. "Not really," she said. "But I don't want to bore you with the details."

"Please tell me," Mason said, maneuvering her so that she was looking into his eyes. "I want to know."

"No," Selina shook her head. "I know what trusting you is worth, Mason Lockwood, and the price is too high." She pushed herself away from him and went to meet Carol in the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" Tyler asked, striding up next to his uncle.

"She's mad at me," Mason said. "And I still don't know why."

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. "It's the first guests," Carol said brightly as she ran toward the door. She opened it and found Caroline and Matt standing on the other side. "Hello, you two," she said. "Come on in."

They headed into the house, and when Caroline caught sight of Selina, she turned to Elena who had come in behind her. "What's _she _doing here?" she asked, gesturing at Selina. "They shouldn't just let strangers into the Founder's party. It's invitation only."

"She was invited, Caroline," Elena assured her friend. "You _do_ remember that she's a Warren, right? They were a Founding Family. She has just as much right to be here as you do."

"I don't see why you hate her so much, Car," Matt said. "She's really nice. I've never seen her be mean to anyone."

"Oh, my God," Caroline said. "She's sucked you in, too."

She stalked away before Matt could say another word. He looked at Elena and Stefan, shrugged, and hurried after her.

When Selina saw Elena and Stefan, she gestured to them. "I only see the two of you," Selina observed. "Did you bring anyone else?"

Stefan and Elena looked at one another for a moment. "Damon couldn't come with us," he said finally. "A friend called him at the last minute and wanted to meet with him. It was some sort of emergency. He made me promise to tell you that he'd make it up to you somehow."

"Great," Selina sighed. "I have no escort. Now what am I going to do?" She abandoned her post by the front door and went to sit in one of the window seats.

"You doing all right?" asked a voice behind her. She turned and saw Mason standing there with two glasses of champagne. "It's a little ambitious of you to try and tackle two of those at once," she said, gesturing at them. "Are you trying to go for a record?"

"What?" Mason looked down at the glasses. "Oh, no. Only one of them is for me. I brought the other one for you. You look like you could use a drink. Has something happened?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "My husband had a last minute emergency he had to attend to, and now I've got no escort." She took the champagne he offered and took a sip.

"You know," Mason said, "I'd be happy to accompany you for the night, if you want."

"No, thanks," Selina shook her head. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"But I want to make it up to you," he said. "Apparently, I've done something that upset you and I want to say I'm sorry."

Selina gulped down the rest of the champagne and gagged. "All the apologies in the world won't make up for what you did," she said. "So you can save your breath."

"Can I at least know what you're so mad at me about?" Mason asked.

Selina laughed bitterly and swayed. "You exposed me to the world. You lured me into your confidence when I was vulnerable and exposed me to the world. Does _that_ ring any bells?"

Before he could respond, she staggered away. "What was _that_ about?" Tyler asked. "Do you know why she's mad at you?"

"I do," Mason nodded. "But it wasn't my fault. I didn't mean for any of it to happen. But she won't let me tell her of course, so I guess I should stop wasting my breath trying to explain, huh?"

"Do you really want to make up with her that badly?" Tyler asked.

"Of course," Mason said in surprise. "Wouldn't you?"

"Yes," Tyler agreed. "Look," he said. "Selina likes me better than you at the moment, so if you're really serious about wanting to patch things up with her, I could smooth things over."

"Really?" Mason asked. "You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "I guess." He found Selina by the dessert table, scarfing down butter cookies. "What's the matter?" he asked, putting his arms around her.

"Damon's not going to be here tonight," Selina said. "He got called away on some emergency business. Probably something to do with my sister. She's in town you know. Selina leaned in closer, whispering. "And Damon thinks she's come up with another plan to drive us apart."

"Is that so?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded vigorously and crumbs and spit sprayed everywhere. "Can you believe the nerve of her? She destroyed my life 145 years ago and now, just when I have my life back together, she wants to do it again!"

"Seems pretty low," Tyler agreed, his heart sinking a little. He looked up and saw people staring at them. Selina had been talking pretty loudly, and he guessed some of the onlookers had heard her 'she destroyed my life 145 years ago' remark. "She's just a little drunk," Tyler explained. "Nothing to worry about."

He led her to a little anteroom away from the party and sat her down. "Feeling better now?" he asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Thanks for getting me out of there."

"No problem," Tyler replied. "Listen, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "Anything."

"Well," Tyler continued, "I don't know what went on with you and Uncle Mason, but he feels really bad about whatever it was and just wants to make it up to you. How about you cut him a break?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "And if you knew what he did, you wouldn't ask me that."

"But the point is that I _don't_ know," Tyler said. "Could you tell me?"

Selina shuddered a little. "All right," she said. "I'll tell you."

"_Ten years ago, on Halloween, Mason and a group of his friends came by Dr. Stensrund's house. Of course, like most young people, they thought it would be a big thrill to spend their Halloween in search of the ghost of the Lady in Red; Apparently, seeing me in a state of depression led to big bragging rights between buddy groups. _

"_Anyway, I'd usually made it a practice to stay out of the way on occasions like that. I mean, I would stand in the window so people would have a tantalizing hint, but once they got into the house, I stayed hidden because I wasn't sure I could trust people with seeing me. I knew that once people could say they'd seen me physically, I might become more of a sideshow attraction then I already was._

"_But when Mason showed up, it was different. He was family, and I knew for a fact that family lore about me had been passed around courtesy of Michael. I decided to give him a chance. Instead of disappearing after he caught a glimpse of me in the window, I stayed right where I was. He came into the house, and when he entered the room, I turned around, surprised by my first sight of a living person in years._

'_Are you afraid of me?' He asked. 'I promise I won't hurt you.'_

"_But I still was a little nervous. When he gave his hand to me, I stared at it dumbly for a few seconds before taking it. 'You're so warm,' I said._

'_And you're so cold,' he replied._

_The gentleness of his expression made me soften, and relax. 'Well, they turned the heat off in the house years ago,' I said. 'And I'm not real talented with starting fires. I'd probably burn the house to the ground.'_

'_Let me help you' he said. _

"_I nodded. He built the fire, and we sat next to each other, our faces bathed in firelight. 'You're so beautiful,' he told me._

'_I've been very lonely here all these years,' I said._

'_Have you ever left here?' he asked me._

_"I nodded. 'In the twenties, I headed to Europe and joined an artists' colony. But once the Depression hit, I moved back here and it's where I've been ever since.'_

"_When he kissed me, I didn't pull back. In fact, I embraced it. Then things progressed from there and the next thing I knew, it was morning, the fire was out, and I was cold. I'd been awakened by someone shouting from outside. 'What's that?' I asked Mason sleepily._

'_My friends,' he said. 'Nothing for you to worry about.'_

'_Are you leaving?' I asked. 'Don't leave me, please.'_

"_He kissed my forehead. 'I wish I could stay here with you forever, but I can't. At least we had last night though. No one can take that away from us.'_

"The next day," Selina continued bitterly, "There was an article in the paper about how the Lady in Red was just a hoax. Or at least I was. Some crazy girl who was mocking an important legend of Mystic Falls. Then, the men in white came and dragged me off to an institution in West Virginia. At first, they didn't believe I was a vampire, so I wasn't able to feed for three days. Then, I broke out of my restraints and killed one of guards. It spooked the attendants, so they put me on a diet of pig and cow blood until they were finally convinced I was 'safe'."

"Wow," Tyler said. "And you think Mason ratted you out?"

"Of course he did," Selina said. "Who else would have done it?"

"It probably _was_ someone else. Mason told me that what happened was a big misunderstanding. If you'll just let him explain it, I bet he'll give you the answers you want to hear."

* * *

Amidst all the talking, the doorbell rang. Carol went answer it and was surprised to find Amelia standing on the other side. "What a pleasant surprise!" Carol exclaimed. "What made you decide to change your mind?"

Amelia shrugged. "I felt like I could use a little social interaction, you know? Plus, I was looking through old photographs and I found these." She whipped them out of her purse.

"Oh, my God," Carol breathed. "Is that your husband? Is that Matthew?"

"Yes," Amelia said fondly. "Handsome, wasn't he?"

Carol nodded. "No wonder you ran away with him. If I were you, I would've in a second. And who is that with him?" she asked. "Is that Selina when she was a baby?"

"Yeah," Amelia nodded, holding up the first picture. "This one was taken before he shipped out to fight. And this one," she held up the second one, "got taken when he came home on leave. It was so hard to get Selina to sit still long enough to take these picures. She was quite the squirmer." Amelia looked up. "I thought we could put these in the display alongside Matthew's uniform."

"Definitely," Carol said. "Thanks for bringing them. As Amelia turned away, she called, "if anyone asks about you, we'll say you're a distant cousin."

Amelia nodded. "Thanks a lot."

After a few more minutes, Selina had calmed down enough for Tyler to lead her out of the anteroom. "Did we miss anything?" he asked his mother.

"Amelia's here," Carol said. "Won't that be a surprise for Mason?"

"I'll go get him," Selina said, grinning. "I can't wait to see the look on his face."

She found him by the bar. "Hey," she said. "Carol said someone came that she wants you to meet."

"All right," he said, following her.

"I've got him, Carol," Selina called.

Carol came over with Amelia a few seconds later.

"Hello," Amelia greeted him. "I don't think we've ever met. I'm Amelia Warren."

Mason's eyes widened. "What in the hell?" he asked. "My brother said you were dead. He wrote me a letter and everything!"

"Well," Amelia said, "in his defense, when he wrote the letter, as far as he knew, I _was _dead. My re-emergence is only a recent development."

"How?" Mason asked.

Amelia led him over to the Warren family display. "My husband Matthew fought against Mexico," she said. "But while he was fighting, he caught typhoid and had to be hospitalized. One of the nurses took a shine to him. She was a vampire and changed him to save his life. Eventually, he did the same for me."

"Oh, my God," Mason said. "I don't believe this."

"Believe it," Selina said dryly. "It's true." Her eyes moved back to exhibit. "Mama," she said quietly, "where did these two pictures come from?"

"I found them at the house," Amelia explained. "I thought they would be a good supplement to the uniform."

Selina picked them up and looked them over. Then, she began to cry. "I miss him so much," she said.

"I know," Amelia nodded. "I do too."

Selina's eyes met Tyler's. "He'd still be here if it wasn't for you," she said angrily. "You and Michael. You killed him. Do you deny it?"

"Tyler, what is she talking about?" Carol asked.

"He killed my father," Selina said. "Well, actually, he meant to kill me, but Daddy got in the way of the stake and saved my life."

"But _why_?" Carol and Amelia asked at the same time.

"Because Michael and I had a plan," he said finally. "When I found out he was in the tomb, I made plans and freed him. Then, I said I would take him to Selina so that the two of them could marry. But when we were down in the tomb, Michael and Damon Salvatore got into a fight which resulted in Michael being killed. I blamed Selina for his death and lobbed a stake at her, but Matthew took it instead."

"Oh, my God," Carol breathed.

Amelia turned toward the door. "I think I want to go home now."

Carol followed her, mumbling apologies.

Mason looked at Selina. "You want a drink?" he asked her.

"Yes, please," Selina sniffled and nodded. When he brought it, she downed it quickly. When Tyler tried to approach her, she screamed and punched him in the face. Blood spurted from his nose, but he made no move to defend himself. She lapsed into sobs and went at him again, hitting him three times in the stomach and once in the eye. "You bastard!" she cried. "You bastard!" People were gathering anxiously around her murmuring pleas to try and get her to stop.

But she didn't hear any of it. Finally, Stefan pulled her off him. "Selina! Selina, look at me!"

She stopped crying to look at him for just a moment before fresh sobs broke out and she buried her face in his shoulder.

After that, Mason called the ambulance and they drove Tyler away. They said he was going to be okay, but would have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days to recover from Selina's beating.

As soon as the ambulance was gone, there was one last knock at the door. Stefan answered it and found Damon on the other side. "I passed an ambulance on the way here," Damon said. "Did I miss anything?"

"Yes," Elena said. "I think you need to take Selina home now. She's had a bad night."

Damon took her from Elena and looked her over. "Clearly," he said. He picked her up and took her to his car. "Don't worry, Lina," he told her. "You'll be home soon."


	16. So Close

Selina stared at her reflection and the mirror and twirled around. She was wearing a white spaghetti strap dress with red stripes. She'd curled her hair and pinned it back with a fake rose and had spent the entire morning digging around for the bright red peep-toe flats she'd gotten to match the dress. "What was I thinking?" she whispered to herself. "I look like a giant candy cane." Mid-twirl, there was a knock at her bedroom door. She got her balance back and went to answer it. "You look nice," Elena said. "Are you ready to go to dance rehearsal?"

Selina stepped back until her legs hit her bed. "No," she said. "I _really_ don't want to do this. I mean, it's not like I don't know the dance by heart already. Why waste my time with rehearsal?"

"Is this because you're nervous about facing Tyler after what you did to him at the Founder's Party?" Stefan asked, joining Elena at the door.

"Of course not," Selina scoffed. "I just think it's pointless, and that there are better things I could be doing with my time."

"Well if you ask me," Stefan said, taking her hand, pulling her up and then twirling her around once, "you're dressed pretty nicely for something that's a pointless waste of time."

"I gotta do _something _to make myself feel good about this since it doesn't seem to be coming to me naturally," Selina said.

"Is she ready yet?" Damon came to the doorway. "We have to leave in ten minutes." He looked at Selina and smiled. "Well, well. Look who made an effort."

"I try," Selina told him. "How are we getting to rehearsal? Two cars or just one?"

"Let's take one," Elena said. "It's not like we have to leave at different times or anything."

When they arrived at the Lockwood mansion, Mrs. Lockwood was on hand to greet them. "Hello you guys! Selina, you look great. Well, now that you're here we can get things rolling."

"We didn't hold you back any, did we Carol?" Selina asked.

"No," Mrs. Lockwood said. They followed her into the room where the other couples were waiting. "Now that everyone's here, we'll begin." She said. "Just hang on a minute and I'll go get the music."

As soon as she was gone, Caroline looked at Elena and frowned. "You didn't tell me _she _was doing the pageant too," she said. "You might have warned me."

"Of course she's doing the pageant, Caroline. And she's on the Founder's Court too."

"Wait just a minute, what?" Caroline blinked. "Since when?"

"Since Carol decided it would be a good idea," Selina said. "What's the matter? Are you afraid of a little competition, Caroline?"

Caroline's eyes narrowed and she shook her head. Matt, who was Caroline's partner, kept a grip on her arm. "Just let it go," he said. He dragged Caroline away, and Selina turned back to Damon who was grinning at her. "Nice to see how much you like the pageant now," he said smoothly, "when you were tearing it to pieces less than an hour ago."

"Well," Selina replied, drawing herself up, "people's feelings can change, can't they?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded, smirking. "Of course they can."

"I know what you're thinking," Selina said. "Caroline just brings out the worst in me, that's all. It's like being around stupid Louisa all over again."

"No," Damon shook his head. "She doesn't necessarily bring out the worst in you. She just makes you more competitive. There's nothing wrong with that."

"What do you think she's got against me anyway?" Selina asked.

"I think she's still bummed about your father," Elena said. "She really liked him and he paid more attention to you, so she hates your guts now."

"What, like it's my fault my father got turned into a vampire when he was an attractive twenty-two-year-old soldier and I was just a baby? And he was my _father_ for God's sake. It wasn't like I was intentionally trying to steal him away from her." Selina said. "It's stupid of Caroline to hate me for something that's not even my fault."

"Well," Stefan shrugged. "What can you do?"

At that moment, Mrs. Lockwood returned and ordered everyone to get in line. "All right," she said, turning the music on to the _Blue Danube Waltz_, "let's begin, shall we?"

"Mrs. Lockwood," Selina called, "could I suggest something?"

"Sure," Mrs. Lockwood said.

"I was thinking," Selina broke away from Damon and headed toward the CD player. "It might be beneficial to actually _show _people the dance instead of having you just shout out directions. Damon and I could be a visual aid if you want."

"Oh!" Mrs. Lockwood's eyes lit up. "That's right I forgot that you know how to do this already. You know, that's not a bad idea."

So Selina and Damon showed the dance move by move, and once people had the hang of it, they left the room and went off in search of other ways to amuse themselves. "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Selina remarked.

"Yeah," Damon said. "Thank you so much for volunteering us for that."

"Well, it saved us the monotony of practicing something that we already know how to do by heart," Selina said reasonably. They happened upon a den, which was empty. "Oh, my God," Selina breathed. "Look at this; a record player. I had no idea people still kept those around."

"Do you think there are records around here too?" Damon asked. "Let's see, just for fun, what they have."

Selina found a collection of records in a cabinet next to the record player. "What do you want to listen to?" she asked.

Damon began shuffling through the records, finally finding one he liked. "How about "Sway?" he asked. "Dean Martin was always good."

"Oh, heck yes," Selina said, standing up from her squatting position in front of the cabinet. "I haven't heard Dino's version of this in years."

They put the record on, and Damon rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt, exposing his arms to the elbow. They began to dance, and Selina let herself laugh as they hit a stumble here and there, but mostly managed to keep with the beat of the music.

"You know," Damon said, "you aren't so bad at this." He twirled her around and brought her down in a dip.

"Thank you," Selina shook the hair from her face. The dancing was loosening the pins in her up-do, making her hair come free and brush her cheeks. "I'm so glad I left Dr. Stensrund's house to take dance lessons every once in awhile!"

After "Sway," they continued to delve into the record collection, and stopped only when Stefan and Elena found them and told them it was time to go. "What have you two been doing in here?" Elena asked.

"We've been dancing too," Selina explained. "Only ours was more fun because we got to have actual body contact."

Elena smiled. "Well, at least you enjoyed _something _about rehearsal. We'll meet you at the car."

"All right," Selina nodded. She and Damon put the records away and then headed for the door. On the way out, they ran into Tyler.

"Selina," he said in surprise. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"You didn't?" Selina asked. "How could you not? You know I'm on the Founder's Court thanks to your mother and mine."

"Oh, yeah." Tyler nodded, then sobered a little. "Can we talk?"

"No," Damon said immediately.

"Yes," Selina said. "Damon, you go wait in the car. I'll be along in a minute, I _swear_."

"Fine," Damon said frostily. "I'll give you five, and if you go longer than that, I'm coming in to get you."

"Fine," she shooed him out the door and then turned back to Tyler. "Don't mind him," she said, gesturing at the door Damon had just gone through. "Because of Michael and everything, he gets a little nervous when he knows I'm going to be around male Lockwoods."

"It's fine," Tyler said, shaking his head. "We can't say Michael wasn't the same way."

"Definitely not," Selina said. "I just seem to inspire those types of feelings in certain people. What did you want to talk about? Does it have anything to do with what happened at the Founder's party?"

"Just a little," Tyler nodded.

Selina sighed. "Look, I don't know why I did it, okay? I've come to terms with the fact that you staked my father and that's that. We were doing so well, you know? But those pictures Mama brought must have flipped some sort of emotional monster switch." She gasped. "There wasn't a full moon on the night of the Founder's party, was there?"

"No," Tyler shook his head. "I believe the anger was all you."

"Well, I'm sorry about it in any case," Selina said. "You seem to have recovered nicely."

Tyler nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I was lucky."

"Would Mason be around here by chance?" Selina asked.

"Do you want to apologize to him, too?" Tyler asked her.

"No," Selina shook her head.

"Selina!" Mason seemed to appear out of nowhere. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Speak of the devil," Selina said, striding toward him. "We were just talking about you."

"Really?" Mason asked.

"Really," Selina nodded.

Mason gave Tyler a look. "Your father says he needs to see you in his office."

"Really?" Tyler groaned. "Right now?"

"Yes," Mason nodded vigorously. "Right now."

As soon as Tyler was gone, Mason took Selina's hand. "Now that he's gone, I think we need to talk."

Selina stiffened. "No, we don't. I have nothing to say to you. Besides, Damon's going to be back for me any second now, so there's no time to talk."

Mason ignored this and led her to the solarium near the kitchen. "When I said 'talk,' I didn't mean it literally. It was a euphemism."

"Oh," Selina rolled her eyes. "A euphemism. That's really original. I wonder what it's a euphemism for."

Mason pulled her toward him, and kissed her. When he pulled away, she gasped. "What the hell was that?" she asked. "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm trying to make up for leaving you ten years ago." Mason explained.

"Well, that's all good, but you have very bad timing." She cast a hunted look around. Where was Damon? He should be charging in to defend her about now. "You _do_ know I'm married, right?"

"Yep," Mason said, kissing her neck. "Tyler told me."

"Then what is all this?" Selina pushed him away. "This is wrong! What is it with you and Tyler that you like me so much?"

Mason finally pulled away. "Just another thing you can thank Michael for," he said. "Right before his father put him in the tomb, he met with Emily Bennett and had her put some sort of spell on his descendants so that one male from every generation would fall in love with you."

"Oh, my God," Selina said. "I would say 'you can't be serious,' but based on the last interaction I had with my cousin, I wouldn't put it past him to do something like that. Do you know _why _he did it?"

Mason shrugged. "So you wouldn't be lonely, I guess."

Selina sighed. "You had very good timing ten years ago. But if Michael was here, I wouldn't admit it to him."

Mason put his arms around her. "I remember what things were like when we first met, what a mess you were. And I know I made it worse, but I swear I didn't mean to."

Selina gazed into his eyes. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes," Mason nodded. "What else do I have to say? What else do I have to do to convince you I mean it?"

Selina shrugged. "I don't know, but when I think of it, I'll tell you."

"Are you done?" a sharp voice suddenly broke the mood. Selina turned to see Damon standing at the entrance to the solarium looking a little grouchy.

"Yes," Selina said, stepping away from Mason. "You said you were coming back in five minutes. What kept you?"

"Elena made me stay in the car," Damon said angrily. "She said you had some 'issues that needed working on' and that I would only be an interference."

"Oh," Selina said. She watched the veins in his neck throb and his muscles clench. "I think we need to get you out of here before you hurt somebody," she remarked. She took him by the arm and, quickly saying goodbye to Mason, dragged him back to the car.

"Did you work things out?" Elena asked.

"Yeah," Selina said. "I told Tyler I was sorry and now we're square."

"Not to mention giving Mason some time too," Damon said.

"What?" Elena asked in surprise.

"Oh, yes," Damon said. "When I showed up, they were holding on to each other real close." He looked at Selina. "Did the rat try and kiss you too?"

"Yep," Selina nodded.

"Geez," Elena said. "First Tyler and now Mason; what is this strange hold you have over Lockwood men, Selina?"

"Not all Lockwood men, just one every generation," Selina said. "It was all Michael's idea."

Stefan sighed. "Of course it was."

"Michael saw Emily Bennett before his father dragged him off to the tomb with the other vampires and asked if she would put some sort of spell on his descendants so that one every generation would fall in love with me and I wouldn't be lonely." She looked at Damon. "Apparently, he didn't have much faith in you coming back for me."

"Why am I not surprised?" Damon asked. "I bet Michael did it just to irritate me."

"Oh, I'm sure Selina had absolutely nothing to do with it," Elena said sarcastically. "It was _all_ about you." She paused. "I think it's kind of sad," she said.

"What's sad?" Selina asked.

"All these guys love you, and because you're with Damon, you can't love them back. It must leave them feeling so empty," Elena said. "Don't you feel bad at all?" she asked Selina.

"Not really," Selina said. "If they have these feelings because of a spell, then they don't genuinely love me, do they? Their feelings are just an illusion."

"Unlike mine, which are real," Damon pointed out.

"Exactly," Selina said. "And I deserve real, don't I?" She sighed. "Maybe I _do _feel a little bit of guilt, but I can't just _magically_ alter how I feel because Michael was weird and decided to make his descendants fall in love with me."

* * *

That night, Tyler went back to Dr. Stensrund's to see Katherine. "Bad day?" she asked.

"Yes," Tyler said grumpily. "Selina was at the house today and she looked so good."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Patience! We're almost there! The pageant is in two days. We'll get Bonnie Bennett over here, she'll do the spell, you'll give Selina the necklace and you'll have everything you ever wanted."

"You don't have to sound so mocking when you talk about it," Tyler snapped.

"Yes, I do," Katherine said. "It's just so hilarious!"

"And not only am I having issues with my own feelings for Selina, I think my uncle likes her too," he continued.

"Your uncle?" Katherine said. "Why would your uncle have a crush on Selina?"

Tyler sighed. "He and Selina apparently had a thing ten years ago, when she was single and emotionally vulnerable."

He looked at the clock. "I'd better be getting back now," he said.

As soon as he was gone, Katherine smiled to herself. She'd forgotten about the spell Michael had had Emily cast on his descendants. The fact that both Tyler _and_ his uncle were affected and were going to be around Selina when she was wearing the necklace meant that the spell Selina was going to be under would have some very entertaining results.


	17. Rest in Peace

"Good morning!" The cheerful voice snapped Selina out of sleep and brought her back to consciousness.

"What is it?" She asked sleepily, staring up at her mother, Elena and Jenna who were standing over her bed.

"Time to get up," her mother said while Elena and Jenna pulled the covers off her. "We have to start getting you ready for the pageant now."

"I thought we did that at the town hall," Selina said. "I was all prepared to sleep in until it was time to go."

"Selina," Elena said patiently, "look at the clock."

Selina looked at the clock. "It's almost noon already?" she asked. "That's a surprise." She got out of bed and went to her closet, pulling on a white blouse and a pair of jeans. "All right," she said as she grabbed a pair of heels from the closet. "I'm ready."

Amelia and Jenna led Selina and Elena out to the car. The girls sat in the back while Jenna took the wheel. "Are the guys gonna meet us later?" Selina asked.

"Yeah," Amelia said. "They should be there soon after we are." They reached the town hall and Jenna and Amelia began pulling out dresses, curling irons and hair care products.

"Is that mine?" Selina asked her mother as she looked at the red dress with silver stitching on the bodice that Amelia had draped over the back of one of the chairs.

"Yeah," Amelia said, looking at it. "I hope you like it. Since you were so against doing this in the first place, I didn't think you'd really care what your dress looked like. Sort of an in-joke, you know." She winked.

"Yeah," Selina smiled in spite of herself. "I get it." She fingered the fabric. "It's really nice, I _will _give you that." While Jenna worked on curling Elena's hair, Selina looked at her mother. "So what are we going to do with mine?" Selina asked. "It's not as long as it used to be."

"I brought a straightner," Amelia said, pulling it out. "A couple of minutes with this thing, and I think you will look awesome." Amelia straightened out Selina's hair, then pinned it up. "Turn around," Amelia ordered. "I think we're good, but I want to look one last time."

Selina did as she was asked and did one more turn, breathing a sigh of relief when Amelia smiled. "Looks good," she said. "I don't think we'll need to do anything else. So, unless you need help with your dresses, I think Jenna and I will be on our way. Good luck, you two."

Selina and Elena waved goodbye to Jenna and Amelia, and then turned towards one another. "You're going to look really good," Elena said. "Red really suits you."

Selina nodded. "Thanks," she said. "Blue doesn't look so bad on you either."

Elena cleared her throat. "I'm going to run to the bathroom real quick before I put my dress on. I should be back in a minute." She reached the bathroom without incident, but as she was leaving, someone grabbed her from behind. "Don't move," the voice whispered as a hand clapped over Elena's mouth. "Don't speak, don't breathe. If you do, you'll be very sorry." Elena nodded to show her acquiescence and then she was released. She turned around and gasped. "It's you," she breathed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"What's the matter?" Katherine asked, smiling. "Afraid to say my name?"

"No," revulsion filled Elena. "No, _Katherine_, I'm not afraid to say your name at all. What are you doing here?"

"I just came to pay a visit to my sister," Katherine said easily. "The only problem is, if she knows it's me, she'll run away and squeal. I don't want to cause any trouble. I just want to catch up. Is that so wrong?"

Elena said nothing.

"Anyway," Katherine continued, "from what I've heard, my sister likes and trusts you. The two of you are friends. So I figure if I pretend to _be_ you, she'll actually talk to me and nothing will be spoiled. Doesn't that sound like a great plan?"

"No," Elena finally managed to get out. "I won't let you do this."

"You don't really have a choice," Katherine said. She smiled and hit Elena over the head. Elena fell to the ground, unconscious and Katherine dragged her to a nearby closet, where she exchanged her clothes for Elena's. She then shut the closet door and headed back to the dressing room.

"What kept you?" Selina asked as she entered. "You said you were just going to the bathroom. I thought I was going to have to send a search party to find you."

"Sorry," Katherine said quickly. "Girls' room, long lines, you know how it is."

"Ah," Selina nodded knowingly. "Especially with all the girls getting ready for the pageant." She pulled out her dress and put it on. "Would you zip me up?" she asked Katherine.

"Sure," Katherine said. When Selina turned around, Katherine said quickly, "I'm so forgetful. Where'd I put my dress again?"

"On that chair over there," Selina said, gesturing at it. "If you need help fastening and zipping and what not, I'll be here. I just have to run to the bathroom real quick."

Selina made her way to the same bathroom that Elena had used, but before she reached it, she heard a strange muffled banging coming from one of the closet doors nearby. She opened the door and gasped. "Oh, my God," she breathed, looking at the figure who was huddled against the wall, her wrists and ankles bound with rope. "Elena, how did you get in here? I thought you were in the dressing room."

Elena shook her head. "Katherine," she mouthed.

"Katherine tied you up and put you in here?" Selina asked.

Elena nodded.

"Just a second," Selina said, then slipped away from the closet for a moment, trying to decide what to do. As much as she wanted to expose Katherine and save Elena, this might be part of Katherine's big, grandiose master plan, and she and Damon had decided to play along so they could catch her easier. She went back to the closet and smiled at Elena. "We'll get you out of here, don't worry," she said, trying to sound reassuring. "Just sit tight for now, okay?"

Elena opened her mouth to speak, but Selina shut the door before she could say anything. When Selina arrived back at the dressing room, Katherine looked up and smiled at her. "Who needs a search party now?" she said, grinning. "Did you get lost or something?"

"No," Selina laughed. "Line to the bathroom was still long."

"You need help with your dress?" Katherine asked.

"Sure," Selina said. "Could you get the zipper?"

Once they were both zipped up, Katherine cleared her throat. "Are you doing this specifically because of your mother?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "Moms almost always want their daughters to do stuff like this, and since my sister Katherine was such a big disappointment, I'm all Mama's got left."

Katherine felt herself begin to frown, but forced herself to lighten her expression. "It must be horrible to carry that burden," she said. "Especially when you aren't the beauty pageant-cheerleader type to begin with."

"I was really against it at first," Selina admitted. "But now that it's here, I'm actually looking forward to it a little." She laughed. "Just don't tell my mother, or else I'll be hearing 'I told you so' for weeks."

Katherine forced a laugh. At that moment, Mrs. Lockwood came into the dressing room. "All right girls," she said. "Line-up's starting. Go find your places."

"Do you remember where you are?" Selina asked. "You're right after Caroline, who's after me."

"Thanks," Katherine said. "I almost forgot."

"No problem," Selina said, smiling. She went down the stairs first and met Damon, who took her hand and led her around the room to the applause of the onlookers, and then led her outside to where the dance was taking place. Once everyone was in their places, and the music had started, Selina decided to let him in on the latest developments. "We have company," Selina said.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked. "And why are you whispering?"

"Because," Selina said, "if we're overheard, it could mean trouble. You see who's dancing with Stefan?"

"You mean Elena?" Damon asked. "What about her?"

"That's not Elena," Selina said. "Elena is currently tied up in a closet next to the bathroom."

"Why would Katherine want to be in the pageant?" Damon asked.

Selina shook her head. "Don't ask me," she said. "But I figure that it could be part of the plan, so right now, I'm pretending that Katherine is Elena even though I know otherwise."

"Clever," Damon said. "So, are we going to get Elena out after this gets over?"

"Of course we are," Selina said. "You don't think we're just going to leave her in the closet, do you? I don't think Stefan would stand for it."

After that, the music ended and everyone applauded. Then, the girls lined up and Selina impatiently tapped her feet through the mayor's speech thanking the girls for their tireless efforts to better their community. Then, he announced the winner: Caroline. While everyone else cheered and hugged, Caroline looked at Selina and stuck out her tongue. Selina just looked away and shook her head. She'd known she wasn't going to win. That would have had "rigged" written all over it.

After the announcement, Selina met Stefan and Damon just inside the town hall. "Did you two notice anything weird about Elena?" Stefan asked. "She seemed different somehow."

"That wasn't Elena," Selina told him. "That was Katherine _pretending _to be Elena."

"But where's Elena now?" Stefan asked.

"Tied up in a closet next to the bathrooms on the first floor," Selina said. "I would have let her out earlier, but I figured that Katherine's appearance at the pageant was part of a plan of hers to separate Damon and me and the two of us decided once we found out about it that we wouldn't do anything to interfere. We're bringing Katherine down from the inside."

"But can we go get Elena now that the pageant is over?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah," Selina said. "Let's go!"

They found Elena and untied her quickly. As they made their way outside, they heard the shouting. "Elena!" called a desperate voice. "Elena, help me!"

They followed the cries to the parking lot, where they noticed a black car just pulling out. The back window was open, revealing Bonnie, still yelling at the top of her lungs. Then, the front window rolled down, revealing Katherine in the driver's seat. "Bye you four," she called. "And Stefan, thanks for the dance." She drove away before any of them could move.

* * *

"What do you want?" Bonnie said angrily. She was at Dr. Stensrund's house, sitting in a chair in front of the fireplace. "Why did you bring me here?"

Katherine smiled. "Do you know who I am, Bonnie Bennett?" She asked.

"No," Bonnie shook her head.

"Well, for starters, I'm _not_ your friend Elena, even though it's not very difficult to convince other people that I am. Even my own _sister_ was fooled."

"I know you're not Elena," Bonnie said, her voice steady. "What do you want from me?"

Katherine pulled up a chair and sat next to her. "My name is Katherine Pierce, Bonnie," she said. "Your ancestor Emily worked for me a long time ago, and helped me a great deal with her magic. Now, since Emily is no longer here, I need _your_ powers."

"No," Bonnie shook her head. "Find someone else. I'm not going to help you hurt anyone."

Katherine shook her head. "You don't understand," she said. "I'm not going to be hurting anyone. I'm actually trying to help my sister have a bit of happiness, do you understand?"

"Your sister?" Bonnie said. "Selina is your sister?"

Katherine nodded. "Yes she is. And your American Literature teacher, Miss Underwood? That's our mother, Amelia Lockwood Pierce."

"Oh, my God," Bonnie said.

"I know," Katherine agreed. "It's just one weird coincidence after another, isn't it?"

"What do you want me to do for you?" Bonnie asked.

Katherine went to the refrigerator and took out the bowl that held the bloody water and brought it out to Bonnie. "Awhile back, Emily told me of a spell that could bind two souls together through the mingling of their blood," she said.

"There _is _a spell like that," Bonnie said carefully. "I read about it once."

"Do you think you could cast it for me?" Katherine asked. "I have the necklace that's going to be dipped into the blood and water mixture." She pulled it out of a nearby drawer and dropped it in the bowl.

"What'll you do if I don't cast the spell?" Bonnie asked. "You can hurt me all you want, but it won't get you anywhere."

"Oh," Katherine said, grinning wickedly. "I figured you were going to say something like that. But I wouldn't _dream_ of hurting you. Your friends Elena and Caroline, however, are fair game. So what's it going to be?" She asked. "Is your pride going to doom them, or are you going to do as I ask and cast a harmless little spell to help me help my sister?"

"Please do it, Bonnie," Tyler said, appearing suddenly. "It would mean an awful lot to me."

"Tyler?" Bonnie said in surprise, "what are _you_ doing here?" she asked. "What do you have to do with this?"

Tyler cleared his throat. "145 years ago, my several-greats grandfather Michael made a deal with Katherine to become a vampire after he found Selina in the woods feeding on a squirrel or some other forest creature, I can't remember exactly what it was. He wanted to be with her because he didn't approve of the other guys who had crushes on her, Damon Salvatore included. After Michael went through his transformation, however, his father found out what he did and dragged him off to captivity under the old church with other vampires who were captured during the Great Cleansing. Before his capture though, he met with your ancestress, Emily Bennett and begged her to put a spell on his male descendants so that one from every generation would fall in love with Selina and she would never be lonely. Emily agreed. And now, thanks to her, both my uncle Mason and I have an infatuation that is doomed to go unrequited unless you do this spell that will make Selina return our feelings!"

"Oh, my God," Bonnie said, rolling her eyes. "How many spells did Emily do that were connected to Selina, and am I going to have to make up for _all_ of them?" she sighed and then looked at Tyler. "You're sure that's all the spell's going to do, right? It's not going to end up with people getting hurt?"

"No," Tyler shook his head. "I may be a little selfish, but I'm not evil."

"All right," Bonnie said. "Find the spell and give it to me."

They found the spell and Bonnie cast it, pulling the necklace out of the bowl. "Here," she said, drying it off. "It's done. You can give it to Selina any time you want now."

"Thank you, Bonnie," Tyler said. "You don't know what you've done for me."

* * *

"Oh, my God," Selina said. "This is so weird!" she was walking around the living room, holding one of her mother's old journals at arms' length.

"What's weird?" Damon asked.

"Did you know that werewolf bites kill vampires?" she asked. "I'd be careful around Tyler and Mason if I were you, Damon."

"Does it seriously say that?" Damon asked, snatching the journal away from Selina and reading it over himself.

"Yep," Selina nodded, pointing at the appropriate section. "Mama says that's what Uncle Jacob told her. Apparently, he did a lot of research prior to his transformation."

"So werewolf bites kill vampires," Damon said. "This really screws things up for me, doesn't it?" he asked. "If Tyler and Mason think you and I are getting too close, they can just sneak up on me in the middle of the night and wham! I'm dead!"

"Like you'd let that happen," Selina said, laughing.

"I wouldn't, but you never know," Damon said.

"What affect do you think a werewolf bite would have on _me_?" Selina asked. "I mean, I know I'm a vampire, but I've got werewolf blood in me too. Do you think a bite would kill me?"

"I don't know," Damon shook his head. "And frankly, I really don't want to find out."

* * *

A couple hours later, there was a knock on the front door. Selina went to answer it and found Tyler standing on the other side. "Hi," she said. "What's up?"

"I just came by because there's a party tonight at the old swimming hole and I wanted to see if you'd come with me," he said.

Selina's face fell. "Ordinarily, I would love to, but it's a full moon this evening and you know what happened last time I was out during a full moon. Say," she said, frowning. "Why aren't you staying in?"

"I refuse to live my life in fear," Tyler said. "Besides, I'll be careful."

"All right," Selina sighed. "I just think something bad's going to happen."

Tyler smiled. "You're too cynical. Don't let one bad experience turn you against going out at night. You can come over to the house and hang out with Uncle Mason if you don't want to come outside. In fact, he specifically _asked_ me to invite you over."

"Probably still trying to make up for leaving me ten years ago," Selina said dryly. "All right, fine. I'll come. Damon and Stefan are going out tonight and I need something to do."

"All right," Tyler said. "See you tonight."

* * *

"Is she coming?" Mason asked, shutting a book as Tyler came into the study.

"Yeah," Tyler nodded. "It took a bit of convincing, but she said she'd come."

"Excellent," Mason said, grinning. "We're going to have quite an evening."

"Just so you know, she thinks you're desperate," Tyler told him. "She believes this whole thing is just another attempt to make up for abandoning her."

"It actually is," Mason said. "And she will most _definitely_ forgive me once I put this plan into action."

"What's the plan?" Tyler asked.

"You'll see," Mason said, grinning.

* * *

That evening found Selina staring out the window at the moon while everyone else partied outside. "I really want to go out," she said, looking at Mason.

"Why don't you?" he asked. "There's nothing stopping you."

"Yes there is," Selina nodded. "There are lots of things stopping me."

He came to sit next to her. "How well do you know this house?" he asked.

She turned to face him. "I know it pretty well," she replied. "After all, I _did_ spend a lot of time here when I was younger."

"Do you know about the vault?" Mason asked.

"What vault?" Selina replied.

"_The _vault," Mason said. "Uncle Jacob's father apparently put his body down there after Jacob was killed."

"No he didn't," Selina said. "My mother would have told me if something like that happened. There is no secret underground vault hiding Uncle Jacob's body. He's buried in the cemetery like everyone else."

"Oh, really?" Mason said. "He was in his wolf form when he died. Do you honestly think the town leaders would have let a monster be buried in the cemetery with the rest of the townsfolk?" He grinned at the change in Selina's expression. "You want to see for yourself, don't you?" he asked.

"Maybe just a little," Selina said. She stood up and took Mason's hand. He went around the house and down a set of steps that Selina had never noticed before. "I had no idea this place was here," she said, looking around. The space was dark and there was a set-up on the wall as if someone had been chained there years before. Selina went toward the wall that had the restraints and touched them. "Do you think Uncle Jacob rigged this up?" she asked Mason.

"No," Mason shook his head. "His father probably did once he found out Jacob had changed over. Wasn't quite successful was it?"

"No," Selina whispered, stepping away from the restraints. She squinted as she looked up at a crack in the ceiling from which moonlight was flooding. Then, she heard the noise, and gasped in horror as Mason's body began to twist and contort. After a few moments, Selina was no longer looking at a man, but a full-grown wolf. She screamed and ran for the stairs, but the wolf cut her off. She grabbed a bit of rock that had fallen from the walls and lobbed it at him. it hit him. Blood spurted from his hide and he gave a long, angry growl, then sprung at her, knocking Selina to the ground. Selina whimpered as the wolf's hot breath ran over her neck, gagging as its drool came down onto her shirt. She tried to wiggle free, but then the wolf's jaws came down, clamping on her neck. She screamed and screamed, hoping that someone would hear her. But no one came.

* * *

Tyler was watching people dive and dance. The music was loud and pulsing, blocking out almost every other noise. It was only his wolf senses that allowed him to hear her screams. He broke out into a run and reached the underground vault in record time. Rushing down the stairs, he found Selina pinned under a large wolf, fighting for her life, and losing. Blood was everywhere. Tyler found a bit of rock and was about to bring it down on the wolf's head when it saw him. They locked eyes for a moment, then he got off Selina and stepped aside. Tyler got down on his knees. Selina's breathing was shallow. Something told Tyler that she was going to die. That if he didn't tell her goodbye now, he never would. He took her into his arms and held her close. He felt tears running down his cheeks, but he didn't care. He kissed her forehead, and then her body became still. He looked down at her empty eyes for a moment, and then closed them, laying her body gently down on the ground. A few seconds later, Mason reappeared, bleeding and breathing heavily. "How is she?" he asked

Tyler frowned. "She's dead," he said angrily, launching himself at his uncle. "She's dead and you killed her!"


	18. Morning Light

"Tyler!" Mason shoved him backward and then grabbed his shoulders. "Get a grip on yourself!"

Tyler blinked. "What do you mean 'get a grip on myself?' he asked. "Are you out of your mind?" He looked at Selina's still body once more. "We were supposed to protect her," he breathed. "But you killed her. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Just trust me, okay?" Mason said. "Everything's going to be all right, I promise."

"I seriously doubt that," Tyler replied.

Mason ignored him and stood up. "We need to call the police to come and get the body," he said. "I'll do that; you go back outside and tell everyone the party's over."

Tyler stood up and scowled at his uncle, then turned on his heel and went back outside. When he got back to the vault a few minutes later, he found Mason cradling Selina's body.

"Everybody gone?" he asked.

"Yes," Tyler nodded. "What do we do now?"

"Well," Mason began to pace. "I called the police. They should be here any minute."

"What did you tell them about how she died?" Tyler asked. "Wild animal attack?"

"Please," Mason shook his head. "Come out with me and we'll dunk her in the water."

"You told them that she drowned?" Tyler asked.

"Yep," Mason nodded. They brought Selina outside and Mason gently dunked her body in the water until she was wet from head to toe. "You don't honestly believe that the police are going to fall for this, do you?" Tyler asked.

Mason shrugged. "You never know; they just might." As soon as they pulled Selina out of the water, the police cars drove up, sirens blaring. The new police chief, who'd been hired after the death of Sheriff Forbes, was the first one out on the scene.

"How are you boys doing tonight?" he asked. He was plump with white hair and twinkling blue eyes. But just now they looked sad. "Silly question, isn't it?" He looked at Tyler. "Were you the one who found Miss Warren's body, son?" he asked.

Tyler shook his head. "No, Captain Maroney. That was Uncle Mason. He can tell you what happened."

Captain Maroney looked at Mason, who cleared his throat. "Some of the kids decided to have a party here tonight. I was inside the house, watching from the living room window in case there was trouble. I saw Sophia stumble and fall in. I tried to save her, but by the time I reached the water, it was too late. All I could do was fish her out."

"Had she been drinking?" Captain Maroney asked. Mason looked at Tyler. "Did you see her take a drink of anything?" he asked.

Tyler shook his head. "She never had anything stronger than a Coke," he said. "And neither did anyone else."

Captain Maroney made a note of that. "What do you think could have caused her to fall? Was she a clumsy person?"

"She was never very coordinated in the dark," Tyler said. "Plus, near where she fell, there's this hidden tree root that always trips people up. She never had a chance."

Captain Maroney nodded. Taking Selina's body, he looked at Mason and Tyler. "Things like this happen," he said sadly. "And it's always a shame when they happen to pretty young girls." He looked up at Mason and Tyler. "Sorry for your loss," he said. "Be sure to break it to your parents gently in the morning."

Mason and Tyler nodded. "One more thing," Mason said. "There isn't going to be an autopsy on her or anything, is there?"

Captain Maroney looked at him in surprise. "Of course not," he said. "Unless you want one, of course, but I assume that you're very certain about Sophia Warren's cause of death?"

"Yes," Mason nodded vigorously. "I just wanted to make sure."

Captain Maroney nodded. "Good night, boys," he said, tipping his hat.

"Good night, Captain Maroney," they said, then watched as he drove away with Selina's body in the back seat of his car.

"How was the party?" Carol asked as Mason and Tyler entered the kitchen. "Did the two of you have fun?"

Tyler and Mason looked at one another. "Should we tell them now?" Tyler asked.

"We probably should," Mason said. "It'll be good practice for when we have to tell Aunt Amelia and the Salvatores."

"Tell us what?" Richard asked. "Has something happened?"

"Dad," Tyler said, "would you come into the living room? We have something very important we need to tell you."

"Should I come too?" Carol asked.

"No," Mason shook his head. "We'll tell you later."

Mayor Lockwood followed Mason and Tyler into the living room. "So what is this that you have to tell me?" he asked. "It's not something bad, is it?"

"Selina's dead," Mason blurted out.

"And it's all Mason's fault," Tyler added.

Mayor Lockwood stared at them for a moment. Then he burst out laughing. "Of course she's dead!" he said. "She's a vampire!"

"No," Tyler shook his head. "I don't think you quite understand. She's dead, even for a vampire."

Mayor Lockwood sobered. "Oh, my God," he said, looking at their somber faces. "You're serious, aren't you?" he asked. "She really _is _gone? How did this happen?"

"It was a full moon tonight," Mason said. "She didn't want to come to the party, but Tyler convinced her to. Then, she refused to go outside because she didn't want anything bad to happen to anyone. I was getting bored so I decided to show her the vault."

Mayor Lockwood's eyes widened. "_You took her down to the vault?_ He asked. "And on the night of the full moon? Do you realize how dangerous that was?"

"Yes," Mason nodded. "I ended up turning myself, and then I bit Selina."

"And according to Uncle Jacob, werewolf bites kill vampires," Tyler finished.

Mayor Lockwood was shaking now. "What the hell were you thinking, Mason? We were supposed to protect her and you killed her!"

"That's exactly what I said," Tyler told him.

"Where is she now?" Mayor Lockwood asked.

"At the morgue probably. Or wherever they put dead bodies once they get a hold of them," Mason said. "I called Captain Maroney and made it look like she drowned."

"So he doesn't know what really happened?" Mayor Lockwood asked. "That's very important."

"I'm not stupid, Richard," Mason said. "I'd never give anything away."

Mayor Lockwood stood up. "Just see that you don't," he said.

"So what happens now?" Tyler asked.

"Tomorrow, we tell the others who need to be told. I'll tell Aunt Amelia, and you take the Salvatores," Mason said.

"No," Tyler shook his head. "We'll tell everyone together. It's only fair."

* * *

Two days later, Mason and Tyler found themselves standing in front of Amelia's house. They stared at the door, daring each other to go and press the bell. Finally, Tyler did it. "Hello, Aunt Amelia," he said when she came to the door.

"Hello, you two," Amelia said. Her hair was a mess. It looked like she hadn't washed it for a couple of days and she was wearing a ratty purple bathrobe. "I was just about to call you because I have a question for you."

Mason and Tyler looked at one another, then followed her inside to the kitchen. "What can we do for you, Aunt Amelia?" Tyler asked. "Just name it."

"I haven't heard from my daughter in two days," she said. "Not a word. Would you happen to know where she is?" Amelia asked hopefully.

Mason took a deep breath. "I'll tell you the truth, but you aren't going to like it," he said.

"Just tell me," Amelia ordered.

"Selina's died," Mason said. "We were out during the last full moon, I bit her, and she died."

They stared at each other in silence for a moment, then Amelia stood up. She strode toward them, and at first Tyler thought she was going hold out her arms for a hug, but she stopped in front of Mason, then a second later, her fist connected sharply with Mason's eye. He cried out, bringing his hand to his face, and Amelia stalked away.

After a minute or so, Tyler got Mason to move his hand from his eye. It had become discolored and was nearly swollen shut. "You might want to put some ice on that," he said.

* * *

The next day, Tyler went over to the Salvatores' by himself. Mason's eye was still causing him problems and Tyler didn't want him to end up any worse. Like he had at Amelia's the day before, Tyler stood staring at the door for quite awhile before he got up the guts to ring the doorbell. To his surprise, it was Elena who answered the door. "Hi," he said. "Didn't expect to see you here. Can I come in?"

"Sure," Elena said after a moment. She opened the door the rest of the way and gestured for him to come in.

"Are Damon and Stefan home?" Tyler asked. "I have something I need to tell them; something very important."

"Yes," Elena said, "they are. But be patient with them. They've had a rough couple of days what with Selina gone missing without a word and all."

She led him into the living room. Damon and Stefan were sitting side by side on the couch. Damon had three empty glasses in front of him and was now on his fourth glass of scotch.

"Hi," Tyler said. "Bet you didn't expect to see me here."

"What's going on, Tyler?" Stefan asked. "I bet you didn't just come over here to say hi."

Tyler leaned forward. "Elena told me you've been having a rough time since Selina went missing, but I know where she is."

Damon put his glass of scotch down and turned to Tyler, his eyes flashing. "What the hell did you do with her?" he cried. "Tell me! Did you drag her away to some private place where you can brainwash her so you can have her all to yourself? God damn it, you are as bad as Michael, you self-serving son of a bitch!" he sprang up, his hands going for Tyler's throat.

Stefan and Elena grabbed Damon's shoulders and held him back. "Calm down," Stefan said quietly. "Remember what he is and what he can do." Stefan looked at Tyler. "Where is she?" he asked. "And you'd better tell us quickly. I don't know how long we can hold Damon back."

Tyler stood up and went over to stand by the fireplace. "Selina's died," he said. "I convinced her to go to a party a few nights ago during the full moon. She didn't want to go outside, so she stayed in with Uncle Mason. He took her down to the vault where Selina's grandfather hid her Uncle Jacob's body after he was killed by the townsfolk because they discovered he was a werewolf. There, Uncle Mason transformed, and in his wolf state, he bit Selina, and she died."

Stefan and Elena kept their hold on Damon while he thrashed and gnashed his teeth. "Let me at him!" he cried. "That bastard killed Selina, and he deserves to die!" Suddenly, he managed to break free of the hold that Stefan and Elena had on him. He rushed Tyler, slamming his body against him. Tyler's head hit the marble fireplace and he crumpled to the floor, nearly unconscious. Damon raised his hands to deliver final death blows, but Stefan and Elena got hold of him again. "Don't!" Elena said. "He wasn't the one who killed Selina! It was Mason!"

"I tried to stop him," Tyler said weakly. "But by the time I got to the crypt, she was already dead. Believe me, I was as shocked as you. When Mason asked me to get her to come to the party, I had no idea that that's what he had in mind."

Elena let Damon go, and Stefan took him away. "I believe you," she said, looking at Tyler. "You'd never do anything to hurt her, would you?" She helped Tyler sit up.

"No," Tyler shook his head. "Uncle Mason said that everything is going to be okay, but I don't know if I believe him. I mean, we were supposed to protect Selina and he killed her."

"I know," Elena nodded. "But remember, Mason has the same feelings about her that you do thanks to that spell of Emily Bennett's."

"Do you think I should trust him?" Tyler asked.

Elena thought a moment. "I would," she said. "At least for now. What else can you do?" She helped him stand up. "Can you walk?" she asked. "Or would you like me to drive you home? My car's here."

"I think that might be a good idea, thanks," Tyler said. Elena led him out to her car, and they drove back to the mansion. As Tyler was getting out, he said, "Mom and Dad decided that we're holding Selina's funeral tomorrow. It'd be nice if you came."

Elena nodded. "I will."

* * *

The next day, Tyler and Mason found themselves standing in a receiving line next to the mayor and Mrs. Lockwood, thanking people for supporting them in their time of hardship. Tyler sighed. The graveside service had been hard enough, but the entire time, his uncle had been wearing this small smirk on his face, as if he knew something that everyone else didn't. True to her word, Elena had come, but he didn't see either of the Salvatores or his aunt Amelia. But his mother said that she'd spoken to Aunt Amelia, and that they were going to take her away for awhile to help her deal with her grief.

That night, long after his parents had left, Tyler was suddenly awakened by a sound by his bed. "What is it?" he said sleepily.

"Hey bud," Mason whispered. "I need you to come on an errand with me."

Tyler pushed himself up on his elbows, rubbed sleep from his eyes and looked at his clock. "It's three in the morning," he said. "What errand do we need to run at three in the morning?"

"A very important one," Mason replied. "Now hurry up and get dressed, then meet me at the car."

Tyler was too tired to protest anymore. He got out of bed, pulled on a gray sweatshirt, a pair of jeans, and his tennis shoes and went out to the car, where Mason stood waiting. "Come on and get in," he said. "Time is of the essence."

"Would you mind telling me what we're doing?" Tyler asked. "Or is this another surprise?"

"Just wait," Mason said, starting the car. "I'll tell you once we're moving."

"So," Tyler said a few minutes later. "Where are we going?"

"The cemetery," Mason said immediately.

"The cemetery?" Tyler asked. "Why are we going to the cemetery?"

"Because we need to get Selina _out,_ you moron," Mason said. "You didn't think we were just going to leave her buried, did you?"

"I kind of did, you know. Because she's _dead_ and everything," Tyler said. "And this plan to dig her up sounds kind of creepy and stalkerish even to me."

"It's not creepy at all," Mason said. "As you will see."

They reached the cemetery and drove to the spot where Selina's grave was. It was in the Founding Families section next to her mother's. Since she'd only been buried for about a day, she didn't have a gravestone yet, just a tiny orange flag to mark where it would go. Mason got out of the car and began pulling shovels and tarps out of the car. "These are to dig," he said, handing one to Tyler. "And the tarps are so we don't get a lot of extra dirt where it doesn't belong. That'll look suspicious."

"I still don't see what digging Selina up will accomplish," Tyler said.

"Of course you wouldn't," Mason said. "But you'll see in a few minutes. Now shut up and help me dig, will you?"

They worked together and managed to get a hole wide enough to get the coffin out. When they'd dug deep enough, and found the coffin, Tyler began to hear something strange: crying and screams coming from inside the coffin. "Oh, my God," he said. "Quick, open it up!" They pried open the lid and found Selina whimpering and moaning. The top of the coffin lining was in shreds and her fingertips were bleeding. Mason quickly scooped her up and she quieted. Her hair was a mess, and her red dress was dirty.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She pulled away. "What nice eyes you have," she said.

He grinned. "The better to see you with, my dear."

She smiled. "What nice teeth you have."

"Glad you like them. What are you going to say about my ears, Red Riding Hood?"

She blinked. "Where am I?" she asked.

"The cemetery," Mason said. "But we're going to take you home soon. Everything is going to be okay."

"Good," she said. She snuggled against him and shut her eyes. When they were sure that Selina was sound asleep, they put her in the backseat of the car and filled in her grave.

"You want to drive home?" Mason asked, throwing Tyler the keys to his car as he took a seat in the back and held on to Selina again. "My hands are kind of full right now."

They drove home in silence. Selina stayed asleep and Tyler was too stunned to say anything. "What is going on?" Tyler asked Mason as soon as they got back to the Lockwood Mansion.

Mason grinned. "I'll tell you in the morning."

* * *

The next morning, Selina was the first one awake. "How did I get here?" she asked angrily after shaking Mason awake.

"We brought you here last night. Tyler and I did," he said.

"What took you so long?" Selina snapped. "Do you have any idea what it's like to wake up and be stuck in a coffin with no way out? Did you have any idea that that would happen when you bit me, or was it just a damn lucky guess?"

"It wasn't a guess," Mason said. "Do you think, based on how I feel about you, that I would have killed you if there were no chance of you coming back?"

Selina sneered. "How you feel about me? That doesn't really count for anything! You left me ten years ago and nothing you can do can make up for it, do you understand me, Mason Lockwood?"

"What's going on down here?" Tyler asked, standing at the top of the stairs and slowly descending.

"Selina's up," Mason said. "Isn't that nice?"

Selina put her hands on her hips. "Would you mind explaining how the hell it is that I'm still here?" she said. "You bit me however long ago, and werewolf bites kill vampires. And yet, here I am. What am I now? A zombie?"

"That depends," Tyler said, smiling. "Do you feel hungry for our brains?"

Selina frowned at him. "Oh, shut up," she said.

Tyler quieted immediately.

"No," Mason said. "You aren't a zombie."

"Then what the hell am I?" Selina asked.

"Are you hungry?" Mason asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Selina threw up her hands.

"I'm just curious," Mason said. "I mean, you haven't fed for three or four days. You must be wanting something." He looked at Tyler. "Go into the kitchen and get me a knife, will you? I'm going to be a donor just this once. It's the least I can do after all."

Tyler went into the kitchen and came back with a carving knife which Mason drew across his arm. A ribbon of dark red blood welled up. "Here," he said, offering it to Selina. "Have a taste."

Selina looked at his arm for a moment. Then she became pale and started to sway. Finally, she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

"Oh, my God," Tyler said. "Did you know that that was going to happen?"

"Yep," Mason said. "That means that everything went according to plan."

"Your plan was to make Selina pass out?" Tyler asked.

"No," Mason shook his head and got Selina into a sitting position. "Go get her a glass of water. She'll probably come to in a few minutes."

By the time Tyler got back with the water, Selina's eyes were open and she was muttering to herself. "Here," Tyler said, giving her the water glass. "Drink this, it'll make you feel better."

Selina took the water glass from him and took a few small sips. Color slowly began coming to her face. Then, her stomach rumbled. "You must be hungry," Mason said. "What can I get you?"

"I faint at the sight of blood," Selina said. "Don't you know that? What on earth would possess you to cut yourself in front of me?"

"He did it because he thought you were hungry," Tyler said.

Selina stared at him for a few seconds, then stood up. "He thought I was hungry so he was going to give me blood?" She turned quickly on her heel and raced for the bathroom. A few seconds later, Mason and Tyler heard the sounds of retching. "What's going on?" Tyler asked. "Since when did she faint at the sight of blood?"

Mason just smiled and popped some bread into the toaster. When Selina came out of the bathroom, he handed her the plate with the toast on it and a glass of orange juice. "Eat that," he said. "It'll make you feel better."

Selina ate slowly, taking the crusts off her toast first, then gulping down her orange juice.

"Feeling better?" Mason asked.

"A little, yes," Selina said. "Now will you please tell me what the heck I am?"

"I will," Mason nodded. "But first, why don't you go and check out Carol's rose garden? It's especially pretty in the morning."

"I can't go outside," Selina said. "I don't have my ring."

Mason grabbed her hand and hauled her up, dragging her to the back door, opening it, and shoving her out into the light. She screamed, and then realized that nothing had happened to her. She turned to Mason, who was watching her with a grin. "My God," she said. "I'm standing out in the sunlight without my ring and I'm not dead! How is this possible?" Mason took her hand and led her back inside. "Let's review," he said. "When you woke up this morning, one of the first things I did was offer you my blood, which has been your chief source of sustenance for the last 145 years. But what happened when you saw it?"

"I passed out," Selina said. "I haven't done that in quite awhile."

"After you regained consciousness," Mason continued, "your stomach rumbled. I made you toast. Do you feel hungry anymore?"

Selina shook her head. "No."

"And last and most important, you said you weren't wearing your ring that protects you in the sunlight yet, a few minutes ago, when I got you outside, nothing happened to you. You didn't fry or turn to ashes, or whatever the heck happens to you vampires when you come in contact with sunlight sans a magical ring."

"You're right," Selina said. "Mason, what are you trying to say?"

"Yeah, Uncle Mason," Tyler said. "What are you getting at?"

"I'm saying that all this happened to you this morning because you aren't a vampire anymore, Selina."

Selina nodded. "I know that. But what am I?"

Mason smiled. "You're human again."


	19. The Awful Truth

Selina blinked and her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?" she asked. "I'm _what?_"

"You're human again," Mason said, looking immensely pleased with himself. "And you're welcome."

Selina slowly lowered herself on the couch. "Why would you do this for me?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I just thought it would be a nice surprise for you, that's all."

"Well, it certainly was," Selina nodded. "You know, it's funny. Once I found out that werewolf bites kill vampires, I asked Damon what he thought would happen to me if I got bitten by one."

"And what did he say?" Tyler asked.

Selina shook her head. "He said he didn't want to think about it." Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Oh. My. God."

"What?" Mason asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Selina shook her head and bounced up and down on the couch. "I just realized that Damon and Stefan have no idea what's happened to me. They still think I'm dead. I can't wait to tell them the good news!"

"Now wait just a minute," Mason said. "Maybe that's not such a good idea."

"What?" Selina asked, sitting still. "What's the matter? Why would telling them what happened to me be a bad idea?"

"I just don't think it's safe, that's all," Mason said.

"Why wouldn't it be safe?" Selina asked. "Damon's my husband; he would never do anything to hurt me."

"You don't know that," Mason said. "He's a vampire; you're a human. Things happen."

Selina shook her head. "You're wrong."

Mason sat down next to her. "Am I really?" he asked. "He _has _had human, for lack of a better term, _girlfriends_, hasn't he?"

Selina nodded. "Yes, he has."

Tyler frowned. "I think 'girlfriends' is too nice of a term. How about we go with 'playthings' instead?"

"I think that might fit. Yes," Mason said. "I _do_ like that better."

Selina shrugged. "So he's got a bit of a past, and so every human girl he's been with that I know of has become a vampire at some point in the course of their relationship, but that's not going to happen to me. We share a deep, interpersonal connection, okay? I'm not just some floozy he picked up for a one night stand."

Mason sighed. "Sweetie, it's so nice that you're sticking up for him. You honestly believe that he can be good when he wants to be and that he loves you and cares about your feelings."

"He _does_ love me," Selina said. "And he _does_ care about my feelings."

"What were you like as a human?" Tyler asked.

"I was, um, different, than I am now." Selina said. "Much more inclined to follow rules. Serious, studious."

"In other words, you weren't much fun," Tyler said.

"I resent that," Selina said. "I was plenty fun!"

"_Really_?" Tyler asked. "You know, you're a terrible liar."

"What does this have to do with anything?" Selina asked.

"What we're trying to say," Mason told her, "is that when you were a vampire, you were kind of rebellious, right?"

Selina smirked. "'Kind of'? When the mood struck me, I drank like a fish, I swore like a sailor and basically said 'screw you' to every polite social convention I could think of."

"And do you feel like doing that now?" Mason asked. "Tonight are you going to go outside and spray graffiti all over town and destroy everything you can get your hands on?"

"Of course not!" Selina said, her eyes wide. "I'd get in big trouble if I did that! It's not like I can wipe peoples' memories anymore."

"And that just proves my point," Mason said. "You've returned to being your normal, conventional human self, and Damon's still a wild, hedonistic vampire who's used to you being the same way. He'll spend five minutes with you, get bored, and then decide he wants a snack. And do you…want to be a vampire again, Selina?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "It had its perks, I'll admit that, but overall it sucked. It was one of the worst things that ever happened to me."

"And now that I've given you a second chance, are you going to risk throwing it all away by going back to Damon?" Mason continued.

Selina sighed. "No, I guess not. But before I cut him out of my life completely, can I at least assure him that I'm okay and tell him goodbye?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Mason said. "It'll just make you feel worse."

Selina stood up, nodded and sighed. "I'm going to go to my room if anybody needs me."

Once she was gone, Tyler looked at Mason. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked.

Mason nodded. "I know she doesn't see it now, but in time, she'll realize that I did her a huge favor."

* * *

Selina had tucked herself into bed and soaked her pillow with tears when she heard the knock on her bedroom door.

"Who is it?" she called.

"It's Mason," he called back. "Can I come in?"

Selina pulled the covers off herself, wiped her eyes, wiped her nose, and sat up. "Come in," she said, her voice only slightly shaky.

He opened the door and came in her room. "Hi," he said. "Are you doing okay?"

"Sure," she nodded, trying to control her quivering lip. "I'm fine."

"No, you aren't," he said, sitting next to her and putting his arms around her. "You're miserable and I don't blame you. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?"

She sniffled. "You mean other than letting me go to the boardinghouse and see Damon?"

"Yeah," Mason said. "I'm afraid that's not an option, at least not right now." She hugged him tighter and he kissed her forehead and ran his fingers through her hair. "You know, it hurts me to see you so upset."

Selina wiped away a tear that was tracking down her cheek. "Well, I'm sorry, but there's really nothing you can do."

"Are you sure?" Mason asked. "Because I could think of one thing."

Selina looked up at him. "How would having sex with you help me with the fact that I miss Damon?" She paused. "Unless it's not to help me at all and you just want to take advantage of a vulnerable moment."

"Fine," Mason snapped, letting her go. "I was just trying to be nice, but if you're going to judge me and accuse me of things that aren't true—"

"I'm sorry," Selina said quickly. "I'm sorry, that was out of line. You've done so much for me, and I know you'd _never_ do anything to hurt me."

"That's better," Mason said. They held onto one another in silence for a moment, and then Mason brought his lips to meet hers. The kiss began slowly, and all the while, his hands caressed her body, slowly removing her clothing and then his own. Finally, they pulled apart, breathing heavily.

"I can't do this," Selina said.

"Why not?" Mason asked, trying to tear his gaze away from her body and failing. "Is it because of Damon?"

"Well partially," Selina said.

"What's the other part?" he asked.

"Well," Selina said, "it's just a little thing, really; but I'm human now, remember. So, in order for us to have sex with no dire repercussions, I'd have to be on something, and I'm not."

"Oh, my God," Mason ran his fingers through his hair. "Couldn't this have occurred to you before we were both naked?"

"Well I'm sorry," Selina said, getting out of bed and wrapping a sheet around herself. "But the last time I had to worry about this, it was 1864 and they kept a pretty close watch on us. And since vampires can't procreate, I could pretty much do whatever the hell I wanted without worrying about the consequences." She tied up the sheet so that it looked like a toga and threw his clothes at him. "You might want to put those on," she said. "And let's not speak about this…_ever again_."

Mason glared at her as he dressed. She just smiled benignly back at him and took her clothes to the bathroom to get dressed herself.

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" Tyler asked Mason as he came down the stairs.

"Nothing," Mason replied.

"Okay," Tyler said. "How's Selina?"

"Much better, I think," Mason told him, bracing himself against the coffee table. "At least she's not crying anymore."

"Has she mentioned anything else about wanting to go back to see Damon?" Tyler asked. "Or do you think we nipped that in the bud?"

"I'm sure she'll stay here," Mason said. "She seems pretty determined not to become a vampire again."

"Wonderful," Tyler said. "One less thing for us to worry about."

But they were wrong. Late that night, when Selina was sure Mason and Tyler were asleep, she got out of bed, and went to her closet to put on a bathrobe over her blue silk nightgown and a pair of sneakers. Then, grabbing a flashlight from the drawer in her bedside table and turning it on, she left her room and made her way slowly down the stairs, shining the beam in front of her. She reached the front door and opened it. At that moment, a giant crash of thunder caused her to jump and drop the flashlight. It cracked and the light went out. Selina was plunged into darkness, but still managed to find the door handle. She opened the front door and stepped outside just as it was beginning to pour.

Carefully, she made her way down the drive, just barely able to make out the shape of Tyler's truck. Taking the keys out of her pocket, (she'd stolen them from the hook by the door earlier in the day and he hadn't said a word), she opened the driver's seat door, climbed in, and stuck the key in the ignition. As the car started, she backed it slowly out of the driveway and turned the wipers and lights on, squinting to see ahead of her in the road. When she reached the boardinghouse, she parked in the street and stepped out of the car, squealing as she was drenched by a sheet of cold rain. Her hair soaked, and her robe wet with water, she trudged up to the front door of the boardinghouse. She knocked three times, rang the doorbell, then grabbed the handle and leaned forward against it muttering, "Please God, let somebody be awake."

A few seconds later, she heard someone approaching. She let go of the handle and straightened up. As the door opened, she smiled. "Hello," she said, trying to keep her tone light. "It's wet out here, can I come in?"

"Selina!" Stefan said in surprise. "Oh, my God!" he stood frozen and when Selina couldn't take it anymore, she shoved him gently aside and stepped into the entryway. "I'm sorry I'm so wet," she said apologetically, watching water drip on the rug.

Stefan was still watching her in amazement. "How are you here?" he asked. "Tyler came by and told us you were dead!"

Selina sighed. "Haven't we done this all before?"

"Well, yes," Stefan told her, "But that doesn't mean I'm not curious."

"Before I explain everything," Selina said, "could I have some new clothes? These are soaked."

"Sure," Stefan said. "Just stay right there and don't move."

She nodded and he raced up the stairs to Damon and Selina's bedroom, where he turned on the light and began rifling around in the dresser. "What's going on?" Damon asked. "Is it morning already?"

Stefan took his hands out of Selina's t-shirt drawer and turned around to look at his brother. Damon was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Three empty glasses sat on his bedside table. "You drank again last night, didn't you?" Stefan said. "Why do you keep doing this to yourself?"

"Selina's dead. What else am I supposed to do?" Damon asked. "What did you come in here for? To cheer me up? Or do you want to take one of Selina's shirts to bed with you too?"

"What?" Stefan asked. He shut the drawer and came over to the bed. Moving Damon's head aside, he picked up a corner of the pillow and saw that underneath it was one of Selina's t-shirts. "You're sleeping with Selina's _clothes?"_ Stefan asked.

"Why not?" Damon asked, turning over on his stomach. "It's not like I can sleep with _her_. I consider this a reasonable alternative."

Stefan sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "You want me to tell you an even better alternative?" he asked.

Damon looked up at him. "Unless it involves a stake, I'm not interested."

Stefan ignored this. "I think you should get out of bed, shower up, and come downstairs."

"Why?" Damon asked, placing a hand over his eyes to block out the light.

"Because you don't want Selina to see you looking like a big mess, do you?"

Damon took his hand away from his eyes. "I'm lonely, I'm depressed, and I'm _really_ hung over. Now is not the time to be screwing with me."

"I'm not screwing with you," Stefan said. "She really _is_ downstairs. What do you think I came up here to get her clothes for?"

Slowly, Damon sat up. "You really aren't lying?"

Stefan grabbed a pair of pink pajamas with red hearts on them and turned back to his brother. "I wouldn't lie to you about something like this. I'm not cruel." He took the pajamas and an extra pair of socks back downstairs. "Sorry it took me so long," he apologized. "When I got to your room, Damon heard me going through your dresser and he woke up, so I had to explain what I was doing, and he's very hard to convince."

Selina went into the bathroom and changed into the pajamas and socks. When she came out, Stefan handed her a towel for her hair. "How _is_ Damon?" Selina asked.

"Pretty much like your mother was after you turned," Stefan said. "He's been drinking an awful lot, he's been hung over every morning, and he's even gotten too upset to leave the house."

"But how has he been feeding?" Selina asked.

"He actually asked me to _bring him stuff_," Stefan said. "I really think he's at the point now where he just wants to end it all."

"What did he say when you told him I was here?" Selina asked.

"I told him to get cleaned up and come downstairs, but I don't actually know if he's going to do it."

"Stefan?" said a voice, "what's going on? Who was at the door?"

"You'll never guess, Elena," Stefan said.

Elena continued down the stairs and when she reached the landing and saw Selina, she let out a gasp. "Oh, my God," she said. "You're here! Tyler told us you were dead! Did you get buried alive by accident again?"

"Something like that," Selina nodded. "You sit down next to Stefan and I'll tell you all about it, but first I think I better go check on my spouse."

When she opened the door, he groaned. "Go away," he said. "I want to be left alone."

"Fine," Selina said. "But sending me away really won't help you."

Damon opened his eyes and sat up a little too fast. "My God," he said. "It's you. Stefan wasn't lying. You really _are_ here."

"Yeah," Selina said, coming over to the bed and getting in beside him. "Stefan said he told you."

"He did," Damon admitted. "But I thought he was making it up."

Selina sighed. "Look at you," she said. "Stefan said you've been having a rough time."

Damon put his arms around her. "Of course I have," he said. "Tyler came and told us you were dead."

"Well," Selina said, "if you want to come downstairs, I'm going to explain why it is that I'm not to Stefan and Elena."

"I don't really care why you're here," he said. "The fact is you _are_. And Stefan and Elena can wait. It won't kill them."

"What are you suggesting?" Selina asked.

"I think you know what I'm suggesting," he said, reaching for her.

"Not until you've sobered up," she said wriggling out of his grasp. "Now put a shirt on and come downstairs. I'll get you some of that hangover cure you always made me. It works pretty well."

"I don't think I can go downstairs," Damon said. "Get Stefan and Elena to come up here."

"Fine," Selina said. "I'll tell Stefan and Elena first, then I'll bring up your cure and when you're sober, I'll tell you."

"Fine," he said, flopping back onto the bed and putting his arm over his eyes. I'll be waiting for you."

"Is Damon coming downstairs?" Stefan asked. He and Elena were sitting next to each other on the couch and Selina took a chair across from them. "No," she said. "I decided to let him rest a little longer. I'll tell him later."

"So what happened?" Elena asked. "How are you here after Tyler told us you were dead?"

"See," Selina began, "on the night of my most recent death, Tyler invited me to a party. Of course, that night there was a full moon, so instead of going out and having fun, I stayed in with Mason. Then, he thought it would be fun to take me on a tour of the vault."

"What's the vault?" Elena asked.

"The place where my grandfather would lock up my Uncle Jacob every full moon so that he could transform and not hurt anyone; after Uncle Jacob was killed, Grandfather put his body down in the vault because the town leaders wouldn't allow Uncle Jacob to be buried in the cemetery with all the 'normal' people."

"So Mason took you down to see your uncle's dead body?" Elena asked. "That sounds delightful."

"And while we were down there," Selina continued, "Mason transformed. Apparently I was wrong when I said that Tyler was the first one since Uncle Jacob to acquire the family curse."

"So Mason transformed," Stefan said. "Did he bite you afterward?"

"Yep," Selina nodded. "I died and you all had my funeral, yadda, yadda, yadda. But then, the morning after my funeral, I woke up in my coffin with no idea how I got there. I scratched and scratched at the lid, praying that someone would come and get me out. And eventually, Mason and Tyler did. Then, they brought me home and the next morning, Mason told me why I was still alive: apparently, when he bit me, only my vampirism was 'killed.' The werewolf gene that I have stopped me from dying, and instead, I woke up human."

"Oh, my God," Elena said. "You're human now?"

"Yep, Selina said, smiling. "I'm faints-at-the-sight-of-blood, toast-for-breakfast, walk-in-the-sun-without-a-ring-human."

"Oh, my God," Elena said again. "I don't believe it."

"Well, it's true," Selina said. She stood up. "I think I'll make Damon's hangover cure and go tell him now so that you two can process everything." She hurried into the kitchen and made up a concoction, putting it on a tray and bringing it up to their bedroom.

"Hi," she said. "Feeling any better?"

"No," Damon shook his head.

"Well this should help," Selina held it out. "Sit up. I don't want you to choke."

Damon sat up and took a gulp. As he swallowed, his eyes widened. "God," he said. "That really _does_ work."

"It better," Selina said. "You gave it to me first."

"So," Damon said, putting the glass down. "You want to tell me why you're here?"

"It's simple really," Selina said. "Remember when I told you that werewolf bites kill vampires and then wondered allowed what would happen if _I_ got bitten by a werewolf?"

"Yeah," Damon said. "I know all this; Mason bit you and you died. Tyler told us."

"A-ha," Selina said. "But what he _didn't_ tell you is that early in the morning after my funeral, I woke up in my coffin. And what seemed like an eternity later, Mason and Tyler came and got me out and brought me home with them. Then, a few hours later, I woke up at the Mansion, and after several interesting occurrences, Mason informed me that I was no longer a vampire; that thanks to the werewolf gene I have, the bite only killed the vampire part of me. The rest of me was left alone."

"So you aren't a vampire anymore?" Damon asked.

"Nope," Selina shook her head. "I'm human."

"_What_?" Damon asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yep," Selina nodded. "I'm faints-at-the-sight-of-blood, toast-for-breakfast, walk-in-sunlight-without-a-ring human."

He kissed her. "That's great," he said. As he pulled away, he looked into her eyes. "Now that I'm sober," he began, "let's continue what we were going to do earlier."

She smiled and kissed him back. But just as they finished undressing, Mason's caveat flashed in her brain. "I can't," she said. "I just can't do this."

"Why not?" Damon asked in surprise. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," she said, dressing again. "It's nothing you did. "It's all me. I didn't come to stay. I came to tell you that I was all right, but that I can never see you again."

"What?" Damon asked, frowning. "Selina, what the hell is going on?"

"Well, you aren't going to like hearing this," Selina said quickly, "But Mason, Tyler and I were talking this morning and Mason made a very good point about how your past relationships with human girls have ended up with them becoming vampires. And that's just not something I want to experience again."

"I would never do that to you if it wasn't what you wanted," Damon said.

Selina swallowed. "You say that now, but after spending five minutes with boring, safe, insecure human me, you're going to get bored, and then you'll remember how much fun vampire me was, and you'll think 'gee, I want her back' and then _chomp_! I don't blame you; it's really not your fault. It's just the natural order of things. You're a vampire and I'm your human prey. And like I said earlier, being a vampire isn't something I want to experience again now that Mason's given me this second chance." She turned back to the dresser and rummaged around in her shirt drawer, pulling out the box that held Stella Salvatore's necklace. "Take it," she said, holding it out to him. Then, she twisted her wedding ring off her finger and held that out too. "I think the best thing for both of us," she said, dissolving into sobs, "is for you to forget me. To never think of me again."

"So," Damon said, "because of some bullshit Mason Lockwood told you this morning, I've lost you forever? There's nothing I can say or do that'll make you change your mind and stay with me?"

Selina shook her head. "I'm afraid what's done is done. It would have been easier for me to resist if what he said wasn't true, but it was, and I can't just let that go. I'm sorry, Damon. Goodbye." She ran from the room, still crying her eyes out. Once she was gone, he looked down at the ring and the necklace, which he held in each hand. Then, he growled and threw the box against the wall, where it clattered loudly and landed on the floor, opening of its own accord. Stella's necklace fell out in a heap.

The door opened a moment later and Elena and Stefan burst in. "What the hell happened?" Stefan asked. "Selina ran out of here crying her eyes out."

"_It's_ finally happened," Damon said looking at Selina's wedding ring. "The Lockwoods have managed to turn Selina against me. She gave Stella's necklace back. And her wedding ring. She doesn't want me anymore."


	20. Holding Out For a Hero

Selina pulled up to the Lockwood mansion praying that Mason and Tyler were still asleep and hadn't noticed that she'd been gone. She parked the car and got out, walking up the drive and taking one step at a time until she reached the front door. She opened it and was plunged into almost total darkness until her eyes adjusted. "Thank goodness," she whispered to herself. "If it's this dark, Mason and Tyler are probably still asleep; and if they're still asleep, I bet they never even realized I was gone." She made her way carefully across the front entryway and had her foot on the first stair when lights suddenly flashed on. Momentarily blinded, she missed the second step and fell. When she managed to pull herself up, she found herself looking at Tyler and Mason who were standing by a light switch near the door.

"Hello, Selina," Mason said easily, although the smile on his face was forced. "Do you mind telling us where you went?"

Selina breathed in sharply. "I went out," she said. "Not that it's any of your business of course. I had some errands to run."

Mason looked at the clock. "So early in the morning?" he asked. "What could you possibly have to do so early in the morning?"

Selina cleared her throat. "Again," she repeated, "I don't think that my nocturnal activities are any of your business."

"Of course they're our business," Mason said. "What if, while you were gallivanting around town, you ran into somebody? May I remind you that the whole town thinks you're dead! You could have gotten in trouble and we wouldn't have been any the wiser!"

Selina nodded. "Yes, I'm well aware of that Mason. That's why I ran my errand early instead of in the middle of the day when more people are out and about. I'm less likely to run into living souls at three a.m. And any ones I _do_ happen to run into probably won't be seen as particularly believable, will they?"

"Please tell us what the errand was, Selina," Tyler said.

She sighed. "I went to the boardinghouse. I wanted to tell Damon that I was okay and that I could never see him again." Despite her best efforts, tears began running down her cheeks.

"You see?" Mason said, putting his arms around her. "_This_ is exactly why I wanted you to stay here instead of telling Damon goodbye; I knew it would just upset you."

Selina pushed him away. "Don't touch me," she said angrily. "I broke up with Damon because of what you said. Because some of what you said happened to be true, and I _like_ being human. I'm grateful for the second chance you gave me, and I'll stay here with you because I have no place else to go at the moment. But don't you for one second think that I'm going to become one of your puppets just because you did me a favor. My life is mine, and nothing you can do is going to change that." She nodded at Tyler. "Good night," she said. "I'll see you two later."

* * *

Elena came downstairs around sunup and found Stefan in the kitchen frying eggs. "How are you?" she asked. "And how's Damon? Do you think he's going to be getting up this morning?"

Stefan sighed. "I don't know. I've never seen him like this before. Even with Katherine he managed to bounce back."

Elena pulled silverware out of the drawer. "But that's because he never truly loved Katherine," she said. "It just took him awhile to realize it. But with Selina, it's different. You remember; each is the only _real _relationship the other has had. So recovering will take time."

They sat down at the kitchen table. A few seconds later, Damon came downstairs and joined them. "You got enough for me?" he asked.

"I only made two," Stefan said. "I wasn't sure if you were planning to make contact with the outside world today or not. But it won't be any trouble to make another."

"Thanks," Damon said, taking a seat next to Elena.

"How are you doing?" she asked him.

"Well," Damon said, putting his hands together and gazing at her thoughtfully, "my wife just dumped me because she was brainwashed into thinking I was going to hurt her and now she's living with her cousins who both have crushes on her because of some spell that her other cousin, my sworn enemy and an eternal pain in my ass, requested that a witch put on his male descendants. How do you think I'm doing?"

"Okay, I'm sorry," Elena said, giving a gesture of surrender. "I was just trying to be polite." She paused. "In a way, this whole thing is kind of poetic justice, isn't it?" she asked. "Katherine brainwashed you so that you hated Selina for years and she suffered, and now, Tyler and Mason have brainwashed _her _to hate _you_, and _you'r_e suffering."

"What's your point?" Damon asked. "Are you trying to say that it's good this happened to me? That it's about time I got what was coming to me?"

Elena shook her head. "No, I'm just making an observation."

"What's your plan?" Stefan asked. "Have you thought of one yet?"

"What plan?" Damon asked.

"The plan to get Selina away from Mason and Tyler," Stefan said. "What is it?"

"I was thinking of going to the mansion, killing both Mason and Tyler, and then spiriting Selina away," Damon said. He looked at Stefan. "I know you don't approve of killing people, but do you want to help me?"

"Wait," Elena said. "I know that it would be very cathartic and romantic for you to go bursting into the Lockwood mansion, kill Selina's captors, and then take her away, but you can't do that."

"Of course we can," Damon said.

"No you can't," Elena said. "That's the worst thing you could possibly do at this point. I mean, the whole reason why Selina left you is because she was afraid you would hurt her. If she sees you killing Mason and Tyler, don't you think she'll assume you're going to kill her too?"

"Give her a little credit," Damon said. "Maybe by now, she's realized that Mason was wrong about me and what she did was rash, and is just waiting for me to come rescue her."

"But you don't _know_ that," Elena pointed out. "Do you really want to risk getting rejected again? I think you should just be patient. Things will work themselves out in the end."

"How do _you_ know?" Damon asked.

"How would you like me to put it?" Elena asked. "I'll start this way: the relationship that you and Selina have is a lot like a boomerang. Things happen; you have troubles, you get separated. But, sooner or later, one of you always comes back and things end up just like they're supposed to. And that'll happen, just like it did when Katherine interfered. But you have to be _patient_."

"I don't want to be patient," Damon said testily. "I want Selina, I want Selina now, and I want to break every bone in Mason Lockwood's body."

Elena and Stefan looked at one another and sighed. "If you love someone," Elena said, "then set them free; if things are meant to be, they'll come back."

Damon frowned at her. "I need a drink," he said. "A really, really big one."

* * *

Two weeks later, Selina was still at the Lockwood mansion and she was beginning to get restless. Except for a few very short errands to the local store, she hadn't really been allowed to leave her room. She now lay on her stomach on the bed, staring blankly at the television across the room. It was off. A knock on the door snapped her out of her stupor. "Come in," she called dazedly.

The door opened and Tyler entered the room, grinning at her. "I just came to check up on you," he said. "Are you okay? Can I get you anything?"

"Sit next to me," she said, sitting up and patting the bed. "I want to talk to you."

"Sure," he said, taking the seat she had indicated, his gaze full of concern. "Is something the matter?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "I'm bored. I've been human for two weeks and it really hasn't done me any good. Mason barely lets me out of the house. What's the point of being able to walk around in the sunlight if I have to stay inside all the time? I want to _see_ people and talk to them. I need more than just you and Mason for company, no offense."

"Selina," Tyler said, "Everyone around here thinks you're dead, and it might shock them if they see you walking around when there's a grave in the Founding Families' cemetery with your name on it."

"So?" Selina said. "Mama's got a grave in the Founding Families cemetery too and _she's_ walking around all she wants."

"But that's because no one but us, Elena Gilbert and the Salvatores know that she's your mother. Everyone else just thinks she's an English teacher. People around here know you as you."

Selina sighed. "I just want to go outside. Is that such a difficult request?"

"Not really." Tyler got up off the bed and opened the curtains. "You remember that there's a balcony out here, don't you?" he asked.

Selina got up off the bed. "I forgot," she said. She pushed the door aside and stepped out into the light, reveling in the feeling of warmth on her skin.

"How's that?" Tyler asked. "Better?"

"Much," Selina nodded. "Thank you. I don't know why I forgot about this balcony when it's _my _room and I should know every inch of it."

"Who knows?" Tyler shrugged. "The point is, you now have a way to be out in the sunlight without alarming any locals." He sat down on a bench near the balcony and she sat beside him. "But that's not the whole problem, is it?" He put his arm around her shoulders.

Selina shook her head, moving it to his shoulder. "No, actually; it's not the whole problem."

"What's the rest?" Tyler asked. "Does it have to do with Damon?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I guess I'm kind of lonely." She stood up and went back into her room, returning to her spot on the bed. "It's been awhile since I've felt loved. Really and truly loved." She sighed. "The best thing would be for me to go back to Damon, I think. But you and I both know that as long as Mason's around, that's not going to happen."

Tyler thought a moment. "What if I had a way to make you feel better?" he said. "What if I told you I could make all your pain and boredom disappear?"

"I'd say hand it over, whatever it is. I could use some relief," Selina said.

"All right," Tyler said, standing up. I'll be back in a minute." He left the room and went back to his. He opened all the drawers of his dresser, finding the necklace in the last one he tried. He looked at it for a moment, then closed his fist over it. He left his room, shutting the door behind him. As he walked back to Selina's room, something caught his attention: her bathroom door was open and the fruity scent of her body wash and lotion still filled the room, even though she'd been out of the shower for quite some time. He went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, taking a deep breath. Then, he began to think about everything that had transpired in the last two weeks.

He and Selina had had a lot of opportunities to spend time together, and whenever they did, it usually consisted of talking. Just talking about things like art, the weather, books they read, and movies they saw. And she really seemed to care about what he said and take it to heart. Sometimes, he'd bring up a board game and they'd play it. She was really good at Monopoly. She'd beaten him every time. But they always managed to laugh about it afterwards. She had a lovely laugh. He sighed, coming back to reality. He looked at the necklace he was holding. He'd had it made so that she would love him, but he realized that she already did, in a way. Maybe not the way that he really wanted her to, but in a way that was good enough. And if he gave her the necklace, would it really make things better? Or would it just change them for the worse? He wasn't sure and he didn't want to take any chances. He balled the necklace up and threw it into the trash can, continuing on his way to Selina's bedroom.

When he entered, she looked up. "So where is this wonder item?" she asked, looking at him. "You don't seem to be carrying anything."

He sat next to her on the bed. "Here it is," he said. He put his arms around her and gave her a hug. To his surprise, she hugged back without hesitation, squeezing so hard that for a moment, he struggled to breath.

"I'm sorry," she said, tearing up. "But that was the first time I've gotten affection from anyone since I came back."

"You could have asked earlier," he said. "I would have gladly given it to you."

"I know," she sniffled. Then, she brought her head up and their lips met. After a long kiss, he began planting little kisses on her neck. "You know," he said between kisses, "I realized something just now."

"What?" Selina asked, kissing him back and beginning to pluck at his shirt to get it off.

"I realized," he said, "that you're beautiful, you're smart, you make me laugh, and you care about me. It's nice to have someone who cares about me. I love you, Selina." He pulled away and they looked in each other's eyes for a moment before resuming the removal of each other's clothing, coming back to the world when they heard the door opening on the lower floor, and Mason calling up to tell them he'd returned home.

* * *

That night, Selina had a dream: _She was looking at a gray stone castle surrounded by lush green forests and a river, usually sparkling blue, but now black. It would be easier to see the natural beauty in the daylight, but just then, it was night and almost nothing was visible. Her attention was directed to an open window on the side of the castle, high above the ground. There was a young woman sitting close to the window, looking out into the night. The room she was sitting in was nearly as dark as the sky outside, the only light from faint, flickering torches. Quite suddenly, torchlight danced across the young woman's face, making her features visible. The young woman was Selina herself! She was wearing a long red gown and a silver crown set with rubies was in her long black hair. Squinting, at a piece of needlework, she flinched as the needle pricked her and blood welled up on her finger._

_Just then, she heard a sound at one of the other windows; this particular window had closed curtains in heavy red velvet. Sucking on the finger she'd wounded, Selina stood up and hurried over to the window, opening the curtains. She gasped when she saw who was hanging on to the sill. "What are you doing?" she asked him. "You're an enemy here. Do you realize what they'll do to you if you're found?"_

_The young man ignored her and boosted himself into her room. Plucking a torch from one of the holders by the inside of the door, he held it near his face so that she got a clear view of his features. "It doesn't matter," he said. "I've failed you once. I don't intend to let it happen again."_

"_Why did you come?" she whispered desperately._

"_I came to rescue you," he said. "Gather your things and we'll be on our way. I have horses waiting outside."_

_She opened her mouth to argue, but realized that it was futile. She blinked and said "there's nothing here I want to take with me."_

"_All right," he said. "Come with me." He took her hand and they walked the length of the room until they reached the door. He put the torch back and opened the door, shutting it quickly when he heard the growling. "What in God's name?" he said, looking at her._

"_The wolves," she whispered back. "They guard me. They make certain that I'm not able to leave this place."_

_He took a deep breath and opened the door. Two wolves charged into the room. The bigger of the two was growling and drooling and baring his fangs. The other, smaller one stationed himself near Selina. He kept silent._

"_Grab a torch," the young man whispered to her. "And then give it to me. I'll injure them and that will give us the chance we need to get away."_

_Selina nodded. Picking up her skirts, she slowly made her way around the wolves. The one who was growling stopped momentarily to trace her path. She grabbed the torch and handed it to the young man, who brought it forward in a wide arc. "Back!" he yelled at the wolves. "Back, you fiends! You will harm no one tonight!" Then, quick as a flash, he threw the torch at the curtains, which caught fire and began to burn. As the fire spread, Selina and the young man made for the doorway of the room, which was now unguarded; the bigger wolf wasn't distracted for long, however, and he bounded after them, growling like mad. In her haste to get away, Selina tripped over her long skirts and fell to the ground. The wolf's snapping jaws came closer and closer to her throat. Just as she was certain she was about to die, the wolf let out a yelp of pain. Selina sat up slowly to see what had most certainly saved her life. She gasped as she realized that it had been the smaller wolf who had bitten the bigger wolf on the leg. Blood was spurting from the wound, yet she and the young man watched in horrified fascination as the wolves continued to fight. Finally, the smaller wolf managed to kill the bigger one, but the victory had a cost. The injuries he had sustained killed him as well. Once Selina realized he was dead, she ran her hands over his hide and sobbed, turning to the young man._

"_He was always good to me," she said, referring to the smaller wolf. "He wasn't scary like the other one. He was protective." The young man put his arms around her for a moment. "We must go now," he said. "You said I was an enemy here, and the noise the wolves made destroyed any chances we had of escaping undetected. I want you to hold on tightly to my hand, and don't look back. Do you understand me?"_

"_Yes," she nodded, taking his hand. "I love you."_

_He nodded. "I love you too," he said, gently kissing her forehead. "So very, very much."_

Selina woke up with a start, breathing a sigh of relief when she realized that Tyler was still beside her.


	21. For Love

Selina came downstairs to find Tyler waiting for her at the kitchen table. "Are you all right?" he asked. "I heard you moaning and whimpering in your sleep last night."

"Oh," Selina said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I just had a dream that was kind of freaky, you know how that is."

"Actually," he said, "I haven't had any bad dreams since I was like, five, but it's a bummer that you did. You seem better now, though."

"Oh, yeah," Selina cleared her throat. "I think I am." She looked around. "So," she said, "where's my prison warden?"

Tyler smirked. "He went out and left a note saying he won't be back until later tonight, he thinks around six or seven. And I've got to get to school in a little while. Do you think you'll be able to entertain yourself today?"

Selina nodded. "I think so," she said. "Why?"

"Because if you can't," Tyler told her, "here are the keys to my truck. Dad left his car here. I'll drive that."

"Why are you giving me the keys to your truck?" she asked.

"So you can go back to the boardinghouse, at least for today," he said. "It's obviously something you need, so as long as you're careful, what's the harm? I promise I won't tell Mason."

"Really?" Selina asked, looking at him in surprise. "You'd do that for me? Thanks, Tyler!" she leaned forward and was about to kiss him when he held up his hand. "It's a nice thought, but I don't think I want you to," he said. "If I let you kiss me, I might just change my mind about letting you leave."

"Sorry," Selina said.

"It's all right," Tyler replied easily.

Selina cleared her throat. "How's my mother? Have you told her about my being alive yet or is she still in the dark?"

"Actually, Aunt Amelia won't talk to me," he said. "After Mason and I went to tell her you were dead, we became _persona non grata._"

"Has she been looking all right in class?" Selina asked. "Or has she been teaching you while hung over? After I died the first time, she went through a bit of a funk that took a conversion to snap her out of."

"She seems okay," Tyler said. "I mean, she's not as enthusiastic as she used to be, like on the first day she was in class and we talked about the Lady in Red, but she's teaching and we're learning."

"Maybe I should go and see her after I stop off at the boardinghouse," Selina said. "That just might cheer her up."

"That might be a good idea," Tyler agreed.

Selina looked up at the clock. "Stop letting me distract you," she said. "If you don't leave now, you'll be late for school."

"All right," Tyler said, slinging his bag over his shoulder and smiling. "Have a good day. I'll see you tonight."

"Bye, Tyler," Selina called after him. "And thanks again!"

As soon as he was gone, she carefully made her way around the house and to Tyler's truck. She got in, put the key in the ignition and started it up, grateful for the tinted windows so that she could see other people, but they couldn't see her. When she reached the boardinghouse, she rattled the doorknob for quite awhile, but no one came to let her in. Elena and Stefan were at school, and maybe Damon had gone out. Or he was pretending not to hear the racket she was making. Finally, she decided to take matters into her own hands. Pulling a pin out of her hair, she jimmied the lock, slowly opened the door, and stepped inside.

* * *

Damon was sitting at the kitchen table, writing. He was on his third notebook of plans to get Selina away from the Lockwoods when he heard the front door open. Frowning, he stood up, shut the notebook, and headed toward the front door, taking Selina's ring, which hung from a chain around his neck, and fingering it for a moment before putting it back under his collar. Who could it be at this time of day? Stefan and Elena were at school, so it couldn't be them. And Selina swore that she'd never come back, so that ruled her out. He went to one of the hall closets, grabbed a bat, and continued on his way to the front door. Once he reached it, he stopped dead. "Oh, my God," he whispered.

"Hi," Selina said, smiling at him. "If I admit that I made a stupid mistake, say that I'm sorry and promise never to break up with you again can I have my ring back?"

He stood frozen for a moment, then broke into a run. When he reached her, he picked her up and spun her around. "Is that a 'yes'?" she asked, brushing her hair away from her face.

He smiled. "You came back!" he said.

Selina put her hands on his cheeks. "Of course I came back," she said. "The last two weeks have been the most miserable of my life. It's like 'The Family Man' only horrible. I'm getting to see what my life would have been like if I married Michael instead of getting engaged to you."

Damon frowned. "How has it been horrible?" he asked. "Mason hasn't hurt you, has he?"

Selina shook her head. "No, of course not. It's just that he hasn't let me leave the mansion at all."

"So you defied him to come here?" Damon asked.

Selina nodded. "But I had an accomplice. Tyler gave me the keys to his truck before he left for school." She took a deep breath. "But I don't want to talk about Mason anymore." She led Damon over to the couch and put her arms around him. "I really just want to do _this_." She kissed him, a kiss that was long, and sweet. By the time they pulled apart, both of them were gasping for air.

"How about we breathe now?" Damon panted.

"Breathing is good," Selina agreed. Once they got their breaths back, however, the kissing resumed. Finally, they pulled apart and just held on to one another. "Here's your ring," Damon said, taking it off the chain and handing it back to her.

"You kept it with you?" Selina asked.

"Of course I did," Damon said. "What did you think I was going to do with it?"

"I don't know," Selina shrugged. "Hide it so you wouldn't have to look at it anymore and be reminded of my heinous betrayal?"

Damon sighed. "It wasn't so bad, I guess. It's not like Katherine didn't do the same thing to me 145 years ago."

"Oh, my God," Selina said. "That's weird how we both went through the same thing."

"But you got over yours a lot quicker than I did," Damon pointed out.

"Well, yeah," Selina said. "But _you _were compelled by my sister. I wasn't compelled by anyone. So that's understandable that I came to my senses sooner."

They sat in silence for a moment, then Damon said, "could I have a dance?"

"Sure," Selina said standing up. "But to what?" Damon just smiled and went over to the cabinet near the television, pulling out a record and sticking it on a small player he pulled out. He didn't tell her what it was right away, but when the music started, she smiled. "I remember this," she said, taking his hand as he led her to the center of the living room. "'These Arms of Mine'."

He nodded. "I've always thought it fit us, you know? At least when we're on." She moved to put her arms around his waist and he put up his hand, going over to stop the record for a moment. "Wait," he said. "You know what we should do?"

"What?" Selina asked.

"Remember at the pageant how we did the dance but because we were distracted by the presence of your sister, we weren't really able to get into it?"

Selina nodded.

"Well," he said, "the music works. Want to give it a shot?"

She nodded. "All right." He started the record up again and they went palm to palm before he finally took her in his arms and twirled her around the room. They were so absorbed in the music that they didn't hear the front door open.

When Elena and Stefan saw what was going on, they stood inside the doorway, holding on to one another's hands. "Look at that," Elena whispered. "Do you think they even realize that we're standing here?"

"No," Stefan whispered back. "I don't think they do. And look, Selina's wearing her wedding ring again."

As soon as the song ended, Selina looked over in Stefan and Elena's direction. "Hi you guys," she said. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long," Elena said. "We just didn't want to ruin your moment."

"Well, thanks," Selina said. "That was very considerate of you. Why are you back in the middle of a school day?"

"Lunch," Elena replied.

Selina nodded, sitting down on the couch.

"What brought you back?" Elena asked. "I see you've got your wedding ring on again. Are you back for good?"

"Actually," Selina said, "I'm here on the sly; Tyler gave me the keys to his truck this morning and told me I should come for a visit because Mason was going to be gone today and won't be back until late. The last two weeks have been hell, let me tell you. Well, mostly hell. There were _some_ times when it was tolerable."

"Has Mason hurt you in any way?" Stefan asked.

Selina shook her head. "No, not really. But I'm starting to wonder about him, I really am."

"Just now?" Damon asked. "It's been weeks since he showed up and you're only starting to worry about him _now_?"

"How long have _you_ been worrying about him?" Selina asked.

"Since he showed up." Damon said. "He's related to Michael and he likes you, so naturally I'm concerned."

"Why are you starting to wonder about him, Selina?" Stefan asked.

"Well," Selina said, "like I told you, Mason hasn't hurt me, but he hasn't exactly been just letting me live my life normally either. I think I've only left the mansion twice since he and Tyler came and got me."

"So Mason's imprisoned you?" Elena asked. "Why would he want to do that?"

Damon smirked. "Because he's a bastard who's only after her for one thing, that's why."

"He always says the reason why he wants to keep me in all the time is so I don't freak anyone out," Selina said. "When I got back to the mansion after I broke things off, he was waiting up for me and read me the riot act. He was freaked out that something would happen to me and they wouldn't be any the wiser."

"So that's why he says he wants you in all the time?" Stefan asked. "So you won't be injured by any people who get scared of you because they think you're dead?"

"That's what he says," Selina said. "And when he first turned me human, I asked him why he did it and he just shrugged and said he thought it would be a nice surprise for me. But I think there's more to it than that. I think he's planning to turn me."

"Like hell he is," Damon said, grabbing one of his notebooks and scribbling in it furiously.

"What's that?" Selina asked him. "What are you writing?"

"Those are the notebooks where Damon wrote all his plans to destroy Mason and Tyler and rescue you," Elena told her.

"Really?" Selina said interestedly. "I had a dream the other night where you rescued me," she told him. "I was in this castle and I looked like a princess. You were a knight and you scaled the castle walls and came in through my window. And then, you torched the place and we watched it burn and then we made our getaway."

Damon stopped writing and looked up, grinning wickedly. "I hadn't thought of that before. I like it." He scribbled some more in the third notebook and put it down.

"Speaking of Tyler," Selina said, "I asked him how Mama was doing and he said it doesn't seem like she's coping really well."

"Of course not," Elena said. "She thinks you're dead. Again."

"Well, has anyone told her otherwise?" Selina asked.

"We were planning to soon," Stefan said. "Then, when you showed up, we thought it would be better if you did it yourself. Were you planning to go see her today?"

Selina nodded. "I was, as a matter of fact. Do you want to come with me?"

"I think you and Damon should go," Stefan said.

"Would you mind if we left right now?" Selina asked her husband.

He looked up. "Sure," he said. "It's not like I've got anything else to do."

"You mean besides come up with plans to rescue me from Mason and Tyler's clutches and then murder them?" Selina said, grinning.

"Exactly," Damon said. They told Stefan and Elena goodbye, then headed to Damon's car and were on their way to Amelia's.

* * *

Amelia sat at her kitchen table, her head down, her eyes closed, holding tightly to a half- empty bottle of vodka. Suddenly, she thought she heard something. She brought her head up and looked around her. "Who's there?" she called.

"My goodness, Rosie," said a voice behind her. "What's happened to you?"

She turned around in her chair and saw a tall, blurry male figure standing on the side of the kitchen opposite the table next to the refrigerator. She blinked again and he came into focus. He was tall and handsome with dark, curly hair and dark eyes. He wore long black pants, a while shirt, and a brown vest. "Jacob?" Amelia finally managed to get out. "Jacob, what kept you?"

"Sorry I've been gone so long, Rosie," he said. "You look sad. What's happened?"

"I don't know," her face crumpled and she burst into tears. "145 years ago, I lost my daughter. Then, she came back to me. And now, two weeks ago, I lost her again!"

Jacob put his arms around her. "Which daughter?" he asked.

Amelia stopped crying. "What do you mean 'which daughter'?" She asked. "The only one who's worth anything, of course!"

Jacob's eyes widened. "Not little Lina!"

Amelia nodded. "She's not so little anymore; married, in fact. Or rather she was, before she died again!" Amelia dissolved into fresh sobs and Jacob tried to quiet her. "Do you know how it happened?" he asked.

"She was attacked," Amelia said. "By one of Charlie's descendants who initiated the curse."

Jacob took in a sharp breath. "There are others who have?"

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "And you know how werewolf bites kill vampires…"

"Rosie," Jacob said, "Rosie, look at me. Selina is fine. Even now, she lives."

"What?" Amelia asked, shocked out of tears. "How?"

"I grant you it's not a common thing," Jacob admitted, "but when a werewolf bites a vampire who has werewolf blood, then only the vampire part dies. Afterward, while the person sleeps, their body makes a transition, and then they wake up human again."

Amelia looked at her brother. "Are you certain about this?" she asked.

"Yes," Jacob nodded. "Rosie, would I lie to you?"

"No," Amelia shook her head. "Especially not about something like this."

"Exactly," he nodded. He kissed her forehead. "I have to go now," he said. "But remember, I will always be here when you need me." Amelia shut her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, he was gone. She sighed, grabbed the bottle of vodka and put it back in the refrigerator. Just as she was closing the refrigerator door, the doorbell rang.

Curious, she went to answer it. She opened the door, and just about fainted from shock. There was Selina, standing on the front step with Damon beside her. "Mama, are you all right?" she asked.

"Come inside," Amelia said quickly. They followed her inside and sat down in the living room.

"Sorry it took us so long to come," Damon said. "You've probably been worried sick."

"I have," Amelia admitted. "But I just had some help, and now I'm better."

"Help from the bottle, Mama?" Selina asked. "Have you started drinking again?"

"I had a little bit," Amelia admitted. "Then, your Uncle Jacob came to visit me, told me you were okay, and everything got better."

"But Mama," Selina said slowly, "Uncle Jacob's _dead_, remember? You were probably just hallucinating."

"No, I wasn't." Amelia shook her head vigorously. "Ever since he died he's come to me in times of trouble. Ever since I was a little girl. And he says 'Hello, Rosie,' because that's what he called me when he was alive, so that he could separate me from Mother, who was also named Amelia and then, he puts his arms around me, and tells me everything's gonna be all right. And even though he's been gone all these years, even though I know he's just a spirit, or a memory, whenever he touches me, he's always so warm…"

"Mama?" Selina asked, watching her carefully, "are you okay?"

Amelia blinked again and came back to the present. "Yes, I'm all right, now. So, Jacob told me you're human again. Is this true?"

Selina nodded. "It is indeed. But we're still trying to figure out why. Mason said he did it for a nice surprise, but after spending the last two weeks with him, I'm not so sure."

"You think he's planning to turn you?" Amelia asked. "Why would he want to do that?"

"Because Michael screwed everything up by having a spell placed on his descendants so that one from every generation would fall in love with her," Damon said. "And Mason's one of the lucky victims."

"Michael did _what_?" Amelia asked. "Was he insane?"

"That's something I've always wondered," Damon said.

"Well, I'll tell you this right now," Amelia said, "there is not a chance in hell I'm going to let any more Lockwoods ruin your life. You two belong together, and I won't let that be interfered with anymore."

* * *

After school, Tyler headed to the Grill and ordered a burger and a Coke. While he was sitting and eating, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and nearly choked. "Katherine," he whispered.

"Hi," Katherine said, taking the seat across from him. "So, give me the details; how's the spell working? Is it everything you thought it would be?"

"The spell?" Tyler said blankly.

"Yeah," Katherine nodded. "The one we put on the necklace to turn Selina into your love slave?"

"Oh, that one," Tyler said after a moment. "I've had a change of heart. I threw the necklace away."

"What?" Katherine's eyes blazed. "What the hell did you do that for?" she snapped. "She _needs_ to have the necklace. If you don't give it to her, I _will _kill you, do you understand me?" She grabbed him and he began to choke.

"Katherine, don't!" a voice called. "What are you doing?" Katherine released Tyler and turned around. Mason was standing at the booth with his hands on the table. "Hello, Mason," Katherine said easily. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"What's going on?" Mason said. "Why are you so worked up?" He took a seat beside her in the booth while Tyler stared in amazement. "You two know each other?" he asked.

"Of course," Katherine said. "We're family."

"So what's going on here?" Mason asked.

"When I first got here, Tyler and I made a deal," Katherine said. "He brought me into town, and in return, I promised to find a way to make my sister return his feelings." She paused. "I had one of my maid Emily's descendants put a spell on an old necklace of Selina's so that as long as she wore it, she would love only the man who's blood covered the necklace. But now, he's had a change of heart. He threw the necklace away."

"So?" Tyler said. "It was my reward for bringing you into town. I should be able to do what I want with it."

"No," Katherine shook her head. "You should realize by now that I never do anything for free. I had a special reason for granting you your wish for Selina."

"And what's that?" Tyler asked.

"I needed Selina away from Damon, of course," Katherine said. "He has something in his possession that I want badly. I know for a fact that he gave it to her. But if something happened that would make her want to break up with him, she'd leave him and give it back. Then, once Damon got it back, he would come to me and I could get it away from him and all would be right with the world."

"What is it?" Mason asked.

"A necklace," Katherine said simply, "that belonged to an ancestress of his named Stella Salvatore." She pouted. "But since Tyler refuses to give Selina the necklace we made her, there's no way to get her away from Damon now."

"I'll do it," Mason said. "I'll give her the necklace."

"You're horrible," Tyler said. "You know that, right? You say you love Selina, but you don't. You just see her as a piece of ass."

"That's where you're wrong," Mason said. "I bet I love her even more than you do. And because I love her, I have to save her from herself."


	22. Gentle Hero

After saying goodbye to Amelia, Selina and Damon got back in their car and returned to the boardinghouse. They parked the car in the garage and headed inside, but stopped just inside the door. They heard Stefan and Elena talking to someone in the living room, someone they never thought they would hear at the boardinghouse. At least not in a friendly context.

It took awhile, but they finally managed to get over the surprise and headed into the living room where they found Elena and Stefan sitting on the couch with Tyler across from them on one of the chairs near the fireplace. "Hi," he said, standing up.

"Hi," Selina returned. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?" she asked. "Is Mason wondering where I am?"

Tyler looked at his watch. "No, but speaking of that, it _is _time we headed back. That's not really why I came over here, though."

"Why did you?" Elena asked. "Is something wrong?"

Tyler cleared his throat. "When we get home, Mason's going to try and give you a necklace; it's the one your Uncle Charlie gave you for your eighteenth birthday. Don't accept it."

"Why not?" Selina asked curiously. "Is there something wrong with it?"

Tyler took a deep breath. "Yes," he said finally. "Yes there is. There's a spell on it."

"A _spell?_" Selina asked incredulously. "What kind of a spell?"

"Well," Tyler said quickly, "can I assume you know your sister is in town?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. "We saw her at the pageant. And she was with you in the car when Bonnie Bennett got taken away."

"She was," Tyler said. "I was the one who brought Katherine in to town, and then she told me that in return for that, she'd give me whatever I wanted."

"Hmmm," Damon said. "Let's think _really hard_ about what you said for that."

"Really?" Selina asked, looking at Tyler.

"Yep," Tyler nodded slowly. "I said I wanted you. Katherine told me that there was a spell in one of Emily Bennett's magic books that would make you return my feelings, so I went and found one of your old necklaces in the attic and then we mixed your blood and mine and dipped the necklace in that. Afterward, we kidnapped Bonnie, and she did the magic bit. Now, if you wear the necklace, you'll be in love with me, and not of your own free will, either."

"Wait," Selina said. "You've had that necklace with those powers all the time I've been at your house and you never gave it to me?"

He shrugged. "I thought about it after you broke things off with Damon because you seemed so depressed, but then I realized that I liked the time we've had together. We've been having fun and I want it to be real."

"Thank you," Selina said. "So, where's the necklace now?"

"Like I said," Tyler told her, "Uncle Mason has it and he wants to give it to you. He says it's because he wants to 'save you from yourself'."

"Oh, please," Selina scoffed. "Like Michael before him, he has no clue about me, does he?"

"I think you should accept it," Damon said suddenly, surprising everyone.

"_What?" _Selina, Stefan, Elena, and Tyler said at the same time.

"I think you should accept the necklace when Mason gives it to you," Damon repeated.

"Why?" Selina asked. "Are you out of your freaking mind?"

"Think about it, Selina," Damon said. "Since it was Katherine's idea that started this whole process, it might have something to do with her plan. And remember what we said about going along with her plan so that we could bring her down?"

"You're right," Selina said. She turned to Tyler. "Have you seen my sister since the day Bonnie put the spell on the necklace?"

Tyler nodded. "Just a few hours ago, as a matter of fact. I told her I changed my mind about giving you the necklace and she freaked out and threatened to kill me."

"Oh, yeah," Selina said. "That sounds just like my sister. But why would she kill you for changing plans on her?"

"Because you having the necklace is a very important part of the overall picture," Tyler said. "Apparently, once you have the necklace and are in love with me, you're supposed to give up Stella Salvatore's necklace and Damon's supposed to take it back and, in a fit of heartbroken grief, give it to Katherine."

"Why would Katherine want Stella Salvatore's necklace?" Selina asked. "I mean, I've got it, but did she mention anything else?"

"No," Tyler shook his head and looked at his watch again. "Now we've _really_ gotta go. Mason's probably already home."

Selina nodded. Bidding Damon, Stefan and Elena goodbye, she followed Tyler outside, and they each drove a car home, Selina in Tyler's truck, and Tyler in the mayor's car.

Once they arrived at the mansion, they found Mason sitting on the front steps, waiting for them. "Hey you two," he greeted them. "Where have you been?"

"Oh," Tyler said, "nowhere. Out and about."

Mason started to make his way up the steps and then turned, grinning, back to Selina. "Once we get inside," he said, "I've got a surprise for you."

Selina smiled back. "Can't wait," she said. Once Mason was inside, Selina and Tyler lingered a bit on the front steps. "You don't have to do this, you know," Tyler told her. "I don't know what's going to happen to you once you put the necklace on, and neither do you."

Selina took his hand. "Don't worry," she told him. "There are much worse things in the world than being infatuated with you, I promise. I'll live. Besides, even _Damon_ said it was okay. If he's not worried, why should I be?"

"Don't you get it?" Tyler asked. "Mason was at the Grill with Katherine. He's probably in on whatever she's got planned."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "And I've got you, and Stefan, and Damon, and Elena. We can beat her. I promise." She smiled ruefully. "It's not the first time that a Lockwood conspired with Katherine to gain control of my life. I've been through this before, but this time, I'm going to win."

Tyler sighed. "All right," he said. "It's your life. If you think things will be all right, I'll stick by you."

Selina nodded. "Thanks, Tyler."

Just then, the front door opened. "Are you two coming in, or what?" Mason asked, poking his head out.

"Sorry," Selina said, letting Tyler go up the front steps ahead of her. "I know you must be anxious to give me my surprise."

Mason nodded. "You have no idea," he said.

Selina brought up the rear and shut the front door behind her as she stepped into the kitchen and walked through to one of the first floor living rooms. She and Tyler sat next to one another on a couch while Mason headed upstairs to get the necklace. "Last chance," Tyler whispered. "You can still change your mind."

"Not going to happen," Selina whispered back then hushed as Mason returned. "Recognize this?" he asked grandly, holding the necklace out.

"Oh, my God," Selina said. "I think that's the necklace Uncle Charlie gave me for my birthday when I turned eighteen, but I lost it _years _ago. Where did you find it?"

"It was in a box in the attic," Mason said. "Tyler was the one who actually found it. He was just reluctant to give it to you himself because he thought you'd get mad at him."

"I wouldn't," Selina said. "If he's just returning something I owned once, that is. Now if he went out and bought me something completely new that cost a gazillion dollars, then maybe I'd reject it, but I _definitely _wouldn't say no to this."

"Do you need help putting it on?" Mason asked.

"Yeah," Selina said. She looked at Tyler. "Would you help me with the clasp, please?"

"Sure," Tyler nodded and fastened the necklace around her neck while trying to ignore Mason's look of eager anticipation.

"So," Mason said after a moment, "how do you feel?"

Selina blinked. "How _should_ I feel?"

Mason shrugged. "I don't know." He paused. "Look at Tyler, then tell me how you feel."

Selina sighed. "All right." She sat down next to Tyler and looked him deeply in the eyes. "Anything at all?" Mason asked hopefully. Selina shook her head. "No, not really, and I have no idea what you're getting at." She stood up, stretched out her arms, and yawned. "I know it's early, but I'm wiped and I really just want to go upstairs and crash. Goodnight, I'll see you in the morning. She headed up the stairs, leaving Mason and Tyler to stare at one another.

"Well, that was a wash," Mason said after a few minutes. "Are you sure that whoever you got to do the magic actually knew what they were doing?"

"Yes," Tyler nodded. "Bonnie read from Emily's book and everything. I have no idea why the spell didn't work." He paused. "Maybe it will, but it just takes time."

Mason sighed. "I suppose." He headed in the direction of the mayor's office. "Goodnight," he said. "Be sure you turn all the lights off down here when you head upstairs to bed."

"All right," Tyler nodded. "Good night, Uncle Mason."

Once he was alone, Tyler tried to watch some television, but just ended up aimlessly flipping through the channels and not picking any particular show. Despite his newfound respect for the nice platonic relationship he and Selina had, he couldn't deny that he had been a little disappointed that the spell hadn't worked as soon as he'd hoped. There was a part of him that had really wanted to see what would happen. Sighing, he snapped off the television, turned off the lights and headed upstairs. He undressed down to his boxer shorts and got into bed. But getting to sleep was difficult and he found himself tossing and turning. Finally, around two in the morning, he was snapped out of his cycle of rolling from one side of the bed to the other by a sharp knock on his bedroom door. Forcing himself to be still, he got up out of bed and walked over to his bedroom door, yanking it open and turning on the light.

"Hello, Tyler," Selina said. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised at the sight of her, but he had to admit that he was. She was wearing light pink spaghetti strap top with nothing underneath it and a pair of gray sweat shorts with a pink stripe down the side. "I'm feeling a little lonely. Can I sleep with you?" She gazed at him appealingly.

Tyler was staring at her, open-mouthed. Oh, my God, he thought to himself. What am I going to do? He struggled with what to tell her; on the one hand, here she was, dressed in skimpy shorts and a see-through tank top, begging to sleep with him; he'd have to be stupid to pass up an opportunity like that. On the other, he'd told Mason that he was against her taking the necklace in the first place, so reaping the benefits it offered would make him look like a hypocrite. He brought his eyes up to her face. "Can I sleep with you?" she repeated. "You look so hot without a shirt, has anyone told you that?" He watched, spellbound as she put out her hand and began running her pointer finger up and down his stomach muscles. He tried to control his breathing, and get out the words to send her away, but what came out was "oh, what the hell?" He took her hand and led her to his bed, picking her up and throwing her gently onto the mattress. "How are you feeling now?" he asked her as he eased her shirt off and began kissing her neck.

"Good," she said, giggling like a little girl. "Very, very good." She pushed herself up on her elbows and covered his mouth with hers, shifting her body so that she was on top. "Did you miss me?" she leaned forward and began kissing up and down his chest. "I bet you did."

Tyler began to feel uneasy. "Selina," he said, "why don't we stop now? I'm feeling a little tired."

She stopped kissing him and pouted. "What's the matter?" she asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Tyler shook his head, gently shoving her off him so that she rolled onto the mattress next to him. "I just don't feel like it tonight, okay? Now, go back to your room and we'll talk more about this in the morning."

"Okay," she said. "I'll go back to my room. But remember, you owe me next time. And I'm _very good_ about getting repayment on debts." She grabbed her shirt and put it back on, then hopped off the mattress. She then turned around and captured his mouth one more time. When she released him, he struggled getting his breath back. "Goodnight," she said. "I'll see you in the morning."

Selina strolled out of Tyler's room and began to make her way back to her own. But when she got by Mason's room, she felt strangely compelled to go inside. She opened the door. "Are you up?" she whispered.

"Yeah," Mason said. He wasn't even in his bed, but sitting in a desk chair near the door, sans shirt. "What can I do for you?"

"I was feeling a little lonely tonight, and I went to Tyler's room to see if he would let me keep him company, but he sent me away." She paused and walked into the room, quickly shedding her pajamas and standing in front of him completely naked. "You won't do that to me, will you?"

A smile slowly spread over Mason's face. "Of course not," he said, standing up and gently guiding her to his bed. "Why would you think that I would do something like that?"

* * *

"So," Elena asked Damon as she came up and sat next to him on the couch. "Selina's gone again. What are you planning to do now?"

"I'm going to go see Katherine," Damon said. "I'm going to tell her that Selina's dumped me and that I need someone to comfort me in my hour of betrayal."

"Seriously?" Elena asked, incredulously. "And just what do you hope to accomplish by doing that?"

"Look," Damon said patiently, "when Tyler came by earlier, he said that the whole reason for all of this was to get me away from Selina so that Katherine could get her hands on Stella's necklace, right?"

"Right," Stefan nodded, coming in from feeding, "but you don't have Stella's necklace; Selina does. How are you planning to get it from her so that you can give it to Katherine?"

"I'll find a way," Damon said, "but first, I want to find out why she wants it in the first place. If I go to her and pretend like Selina and I have broken up, maybe she'll tell me."

Stefan and Elena looked worriedly at one another. "Do you see as many holes in this plan as I do?" Elena asked Stefan.

"Yes," Stefan nodded. "Somehow, I get the feeling that this isn't going to end well."

Damon sighed theatrically. "Fine," he said. "Do _you_ have any ideas that will allow us to find out what Katherine wants with Stella Salvatore's necklace?"

"No," Stefan admitted. "And from what Tyler told us, what's going on with him and Selina is just a side issue. Getting Stella's necklace is the important thing."

"Go ahead and go," Elena said. "But be careful."

"Oh, I will," Damon told her. "Don't you worry about me."

He breathed deeply to compose himself as he drove up the drive to Dr. Stensrund's old house. He parked and walked slowly up the steps, rehearsing what he was going to tell Katherine in his mind. He rang the doorbell and a few minutes later, she answered. "Hi," she said. "I'm a little surprised to see you, but come on in."

He followed her into the house and they took seats across from one another at the kitchen table. "So," Katherine asked him, "what brings you here? Especially at this time of night?"

He sighed. "Selina's gone," he said.

"Gone?" Katherine repeated, looking interested.

"Yep," Damon nodded. "Completely disappeared. She went out shopping this morning and never came back. I think she's left me."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Katherine stood up and came over to him, taking his hand. "If there's anything I can do to make the hurt go away, just name it."

"Well," Damon said, "Selina left something at the house, and I was wondering if you'd keep an eye on it for me."

"What is it?" Katherine asked breathlessly.

"A necklace," Damon told her, standing up. "A silver and lapis lazuli necklace that's very old. It's been in the family since the fifteenth century."

"The necklace that belonged to Stella Salvatore?" Katherine asked.

"Yes," Damon nodded, feigning surprise at her knowledge. "How do you know about it?"

Katherine shrugged. "I have my ways. But I'd be glad to keep it for you."

"Thanks," Damon said. "You're really doing me a favor. I would keep it at the house, but it would just remind me of Selina, and how badly she betrayed me."

"Would you like to _see_ how badly Selina's betraying you?" Katherine asked. "I saw her head into the Lockwood mansion earlier today. Maybe she's still there."

"Of course," Damon nodded. "I'll take any closure I can get at this point."

They left the house and got into Damon's car, driving it to the Lockwood mansion. They parked in the street and got out of the car. "What do we do now?" Damon asked.

"Follow me, we'll look in the windows and see if we see her," Katherine told him. "And remember, keep quiet. We don't want her to see us."

"Of course not," Damon said. "That would just be stupid."

After finding nothing in the windows on the lower floors, they got up to the upper ones, and after peeking behind the first curtain, Katherine let out a squeal of victory. "Look," she said, pushing the curtain aside. She moved away so that Damon could have the full view. What he saw made his heart sink: Selina and Mason were in bed together, their moans of ecstasy probably audible for miles around. He turned away and tried to control his breathing.

"I'd forget about Selina," Katherine said, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. "She's obviously had _no_ trouble forgetting about you."


	23. Doppleganger

"Can we go now?" Damon asked after a little while. "I think I've seen enough."

"Sure," Katherine replied. "Where do you want to go? We could go back to my house. Or yours. Whichever, it doesn't matter to me."

"I think we should go back to yours," Damon said. "But first, I want to stop back home and get a few things."

"All right," Katherine said. "Lead the way." She let him lead her away from the mansion, smiling to herself. "I did it," she whispered to herself. "And once again, it was _too easy_."

"Did you say something?" Damon asked, turning to her suddenly.

"No," Katherine said quickly. "It was probably just the wind." They got in his car and drove back to the boardinghouse. After getting inside, Damon called out to see if anyone else was home, but to his surprise, everything was silent. He continued walking into the house, but let out a cry of surprise when Katherine bumped into him from behind.

"What's the matter?" he asked, turning to her. Her eyes were wide and she was staring raptly at the portrait over the fireplace.

"It's her," Katherine said, pointing. "Where did you get that picture of her?"

"Her who?" Damon asked. He turned in the direction Katherine was pointing. "Oh," he said. "You mean Stella? I found it in the attic one day while I was looking for the necklace to give to Selina. It's remarkably well-preserved for being over five-hundred years old, isn't it?" he asked.

Katherine shook her head. "Take it down," she said. "Take it down right now."

"What's the matter?" he asked. "You're not afraid of a little painting, are you?"

"Of course not," Katherine said. "I'm not afraid of anything. It's just that with what I have planned for us tonight, having someone looking at us, even if it's just a picture, it's a little unnerving, don't you think?"

Damon nodded. "All right," he said, "I understand completely." He paused. "And I thought we decided we were going to your house."

Katherine shook her head. "That would take too long. I want you _now_."

Damon paused from taking the picture off the wall and grinned a little. "You know just what to say, don't you?" he took the picture off the wall and put it face down next to the fireplace, then strode over to Katherine. "What do you say we imitate my cheating spouse and her lover?" he asked.

Katherine grinned wickedly. "Oh, let's," she said. She captured his mouth and they threw themselves onto the sofa, moaning and pulling at each others' clothes. But just as things were about to become serious, a burst of lightning and thunder ripped through the sky, plunging the boardinghouse into darkness. After what seemed like an eternity, the power came back on and Katherine and Damon pulled themselves apart. Their eyes drifted around the room, and Katherine had a sharp intake of breath when she beheld the fireplace; Stella Salvatore's picture had been facedown on the floor before the blackout. Now, it was back where it belonged and Stella seemed to be smiling.

* * *

The next morning, Selina was awakened by Mason kissing her neck. "Good morning," he said. "Have I told you yet how beautiful I think you are?"

She smiled. "I'm sure you have, but I don't mind hearing it however many times you feel like saying it."

He grinned and pushed away from her a little, starting when he glanced at the clock on the bedside table. "It's a lot later than I thought," he said. "I should probably get up and start my day."

Selina looked at the clock too. It was just after noon. "You seem surprised by how late it is," she said. "But I'm not. After what we did last night, there's no way we would have been up earlier than this."

Mason kissed her again. "I'm going to go to the bathroom while you dress," he said. "I'll be back in a little while."

"I'll be here," Selina told him, getting out of bed herself. As soon as he was gone, she dressed quickly and ripped off the necklace, swapping it for Stella's.

"What's that you're wearing?" Mason asked when he returned. "Your other necklace looks so much better."

"Maybe," Selina told him. "But this one," she held up the pendent of Stella's necklace, "has the added bonus of not taking away my willpower when I wear it."

Mason blinked and then laughed. "Come on," he said. "What are you talking about?"

Selina frowned. "Don't give me that bullshit, Mason. I know that this necklace compels me to fall in love with Tyler whenever I wear it. He told me that. But what I want to know is if it's Tyler that I'm supposed to be in love with, then why the hell did I spend last night having sex with you?"

Mason stopped laughing. "Tyler told you what the necklace does?" he asked.

"Yep," Selina nodded. "And he told me all about the deal he made with Katherine too."

Mason nodded. "Of course he did, that doesn't surprise me. But he didn't tell you everything."

"Why not?" Selina asked.

"Because he doesn't _know_ everything," Mason said. "When Katherine talked to him about the spell, she left out a few little details, one of which explains why you and I had our lovely evening together last night."

"What is it?" Selina asked.

"Where did you put the necklace?" Mason asked.

"It's on the bed," Selina pointed. Mason picked it up and ran his fingers over the cross pendent. "Coating the pendent is you and Tyler's blood. Mingled together by magic. But it's not just Tyler's blood; it's also Lockwood blood. Since it came from his body, Tyler is the prime recipient of the benefits the spell brings, but should he be absent, or refuse you while you're wearing the necklace, you will then seize upon the first Lockwood male you find. Last night, Tyler rejected you, so you came to me."

Selina sat down on the bed. "I think I feel sick," she said. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Yeah," Mason nodded.

Selina sighed. "So, if Tyler rejected me and you weren't around and Richard was, and I ran into him…"

Mason grinned. "Then Carol would throw you out on your ass and forbid you to come back."

"Oh, good God," Selina said.

"I know," Mason said. "Horrible thought, isn't it? But don't worry. I'll keep my brother out of the way." He held up the necklace. "Put it back on."

"Hell no," Selina scoffed. "How can you even suggest that I should? Ever since I came back, you've been controlling everything I do. You haven't let me see anyone. You've kept me a prisoner here. You say you love me, but how can you do that to someone you _love_?"

"It's complicated," Mason said. "But you'll just have to trust me."

"No," Selina said, ripping the necklace out of his hand and throwing it into the trash. "I refuse. I'm sick and tired of having other people decide how I'm going to live my life: when I was a little girl, it was my mother; when I was a teenager, Dr. Stensrund and Katherine decided that I was going to be a vampire. Did I have any say in the matter? Of course I didn't. And now you decided to make me human again. You decided to make me human again so I could become your sex slave under the pretense of wanting to 'protect' me. You know what? You're as bad as Michael was, and he didn't have a damn clue. No one knows what's good for me except me, and it's about time I realized that. So now I'm going to _do_ what's best for me: I'm going to go back to the boardinghouse with my husband where I belong, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Aren't you afraid that someone's going to see you and try to kill you?" Mason asked.

Selina shook her head. "The beauty of my new outlook on life is that I don't really care about that anymore." Before Mason could say another word, she opened the door and strode out of the bedroom. On her way out, she met up with Tyler.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "I slept with Mason last night."

Tyler's eyes widened. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Because when I wanted to sleep with you, you rejected me. Did you know that the spell on the necklace applies to every single male Lockwood that's alive? You're only the prime recipient of its benefits. If you choose not to partake of them, the spell dictates that I work my charms on whichever of your male relatives is closest. Thank God it was Mason I ran into last night after leaving your room and not your father."

"Are you serious?" Tyler asked. "Katherine didn't mention that when we first talked about the spell."

"Of course she wouldn't," Selina said. "It's all part of her sick little game. It would just make her day to have me sleep with a whole bunch of people that I'm related to, especially if she realized that you were starting to respect me as a person and want more out of our relationship than nightly booty calls."

"Let me drive you home," Tyler said. "I feel like I owe you at least that much."

"Thanks," Selina said, letting out a breath.

They got in his truck and headed back to the boardinghouse. "Hello?" Selina called out. "Damon? Stefan? Elena? Anybody home?"

"I'm here," Damon said, striding up to her. "How was your night?"

"Horrible," Selina said. "Slept with someone I hate. What about yours?"

"That's a lie," Damon said. "From what I saw last night, you were having the time of your life."

Selina froze. "You _saw_ me and Mason last night?"

Damon nodded. "And even if I hadn't seen you, I probably would have heard you. You certainly were loud enough."

Selina put her hands on her hips. "Would you stop sounding like a jealous husband?" she asked. "It wasn't like I _chose_ to sleep with Mason. It happened because of the spell on that damn necklace, which _you_ told me to take, if I recall."

"Well yeah," Damon said. "That's when I thought you were just going to be sleeping with Tyler. No one said anything about you sleeping with Mason."

"Because no one knew," Selina said. "Or at least I didn't. Katherine left out that little bit of the spell when she and Tyler originally talked about it."

"If I would have known, I would have told her, honestly," Tyler said. "If you want to blame someone for last night, blame me. The spell says that I'm the prime recipient of Selina's affections when she's wearing the necklace, but should I refuse them, like I did last night, then the spell becomes general and applies to all living Lockwood males. If I would have just kept her in my room last night, then it wouldn't have happened."

Damon looked at Selina and sighed. "Since what I saw last night was caused by the necklace, I guess I should forgive you."

"Thank you," Selina said. "Now, what did you do last night?"

Just then, Katherine came downstairs clad in nothing but a purple negligee. "When are you going to come back upstairs?" she asked Damon. "I'm getting lonely."

"Let me rephrase," Selina said tightly, looking at Damon. "My question should have been 'who did you do last night?' But I guess the answer is obvious. I'm not surprised at all."

"Hello, Selina," Katherine said. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Katherine," Selina said. "I wish I could say the same about you."

"That's a pretty necklace," Katherine said.

Selina looked down at it. "It is, isn't it? And a little birdie told me that you want it. Is that true?"

"Yes," Katherine said, a slow grin spreading over her face. "And I always get what I want. We can do it the easy way, where you just hand it over, or we could make things difficult and end with me prying it out of your cold, dead hands. You're human now; it shouldn't be too difficult."

"I don't like making things easy for anyone," Selina said. "Especially you. Do your worst."

Katherine hissed and rushed Selina. Tyler cried out and attempted to push her out of the way, but Selina refused to move. Just as Katherine reached her, lightning flashed and thunder crashed, and just like the night before, the room was momentarily plunged into darkness. When the power came back on, both Tyler and Damon gasped. Katherine was on her back on the floor, gasping for air. Selina was settled firmly on top of her with her knee in Katherine's midsection and her hand around Katherine's throat.

"Selina," Damon said, trying to pull her away. "What the hell are you doing?"

Selina turned to him and spoke, in a voice not quite her own. "Stay out of this, Junior. It's not your affair." Damon's eyes widened and he backed away. After a moment, Selina turned back to Katherine, tightening her hold on Katherine's throat. "I've waited a long time for this moment, Katerina Petrova," she said in that same voice. "Leave now, and I'll spare you, even though you don't deserve it. But if you come near Damon, Selina, Elena or Stefan again, if you do so much as _breathe_ on them, I will kill you. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Katherine gurgled.

"Go," Selina said, her voice hardly audible above the sound of the rain now lashing down the windows. "Go and never return." Selina let Katherine go and stood up. Katherine ran up the stairs and returned a few minutes later, fully dressed, then headed out the door.

As soon as she was gone, Selina blinked. "What happened?" she asked. "I saw Katherine and then I don't remember anything."

"I'll tell you tonight," Damon said. "It's a long story."

* * *

"So," Selina said as she and Damon were getting ready for bed that night. "You told me you'd explain what happened to me this afternoon."

"I can't really explain it," Damon said. "But I can tell you what happened."

"Well, what happened?" Selina asked.

"You kicked Katherine's ass," Damon said.

"I _did_?" Selina asked in surprise. "But that's impossible. I'm human, she's not."

"You did," Damon nodded. "Katherine wanted to fight for the necklace, then the power went out, and when it came back on, you had her on the ground and basically powerless."

"How come I don't remember any of this?" Selina asked.

"I think you were possessed," Damon said. "By the spirit of Stella Salvatore."

That night, Selina had another dream. _She could tell it took place just after the first one. She was on the same horse, with the same knight, in the same armor. And she still couldn't see his face. They rode along in silence for a moment, then she said "Thank you for rescuing me, Damon."_

_All of a sudden, the young man leading her stopped the horse and turned around. "You're welcome," he said, removing his helmet. She gasped. It wasn't Damon at all. This young man had features so fine they could have been copied from a Roman coin. His dark hair was straight like the pelt of an animal, and his eyes were so dark they were almost black._

"_Are you all right, Carina?" He asked._

"_Yes," she said, blinking. "Where are we going now?"_

"_Your brother's," he said. "Johan planned this with me. They'll be waiting for us. Then, tomorrow, we'll get on a boat and return to Florence."_

"_Thank God," she said. "My nightmares are almost over."_

_After about an hour's ride, they arrived at a castle just as magnificent as the one she had left. They knocked on the door and to Selina's surprise, it wasn't a servant who answered it, but a regal-looking young man with blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. "Thank God you made it," he said, ushering them inside. "Did you run into any problems?"_

"_I had to set the castle on fire in order for us to get away," Damon told him._

_The blond man smiled. "Just like your wedding day all over again."_

_He looked at Selina. "Are you all right?" he asked her gently. "You weren't hurt horribly were you?"_

_She shook her head. "No," she said. "I was just locked up and not allowed to leave. Grandmother had wolves guarding me."_

"_Wolves?" he said. "Of course." He stood up and came to put his arms around her. "Everything will be all right now, though. Nothing like this will ever happen to you again, I promise."_

"We_ promise," Damon said._

_The young man, Johan, Selina assumed, released her. "It's late and you've had a long day. You should get some sleep."_

"_All right," Selina nodded. "Good night, Johan."_

_He smiled. "Gute Nachte, Liebchen."_

_Selina and Damon followed a chambermaid to their room. He waited outside while a maid dressed her for bed and returned when she was settled. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get to you," he said. _

"_I knew you'd come," she told him._

_He kissed her. "I love you too much not to. If you were ever lost to me, I would lose a part of myself."_

_She smiled at him. "I love you," she said. "You'll never have any idea how much. Good night."_

"_Goodnight, Selina," he said. _Bu_t _the voice he spoke with wasn't his. She opened her eyes. Damon was leaning over her. She didn't recognize him at first. "Hello, Selina," he said, his blue eyes close to hers. "Happy birthday!"

"Who are you?" she cried, pulling the covers tighter around her. "What do you want? Where am I?" She took a deep breath. Then her mind cleared. "Sorry," she said.

He put his arms around her. "Did you have a bad dream?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not bad, just really vivid." She glanced at him sheepishly. "I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "You're my husband, the year is 2010, I'm at the boardinghouse and today," she grinned, "is Halloween and my birthday."

"Yep," he smiled. "You seem all right to me." He took her hand and she hopped out of bed.

They went downstairs and found Elena and Stefan in the dining room, hanging up streamers and a happy birthday sign. "Morning!" Selina said.

"Happy birthday," Elena and Stefan said together.

"Thank you," Selina said grinning. "Do you think Mama remembers?"

At that moment, the doorbell rang. "I'll get that," Elena said. "Damon, could you take the other end of the banner?"

"Sure," Damon said, picking up the side she dropped. She left to go answer the door and came back a second later with Amelia.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Amelia said, giving Selina a hug.

"Thanks, Mama," Selina said. "I wondered if you remembered."

"Please," Amelia said. "You don't forget something like giving birth, trust me."

They took seats around the kitchen table and Damon looked at Selina. "What did you dream about last night that had you so freaked out?"

"I wasn't freaked out," Selina corrected. "I was disoriented. That's not uncommon after you wake up suddenly from a dream."

"What happened?" Elena asked.

"Remember that dream I had awhile back where I was trapped in the castle with the wolves and then I escaped and it burned down?" Selina asked.

"You mean the one where I rescued you," Damon said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I had another dream like that tonight, but this one involved more conversation with my rescuer, and I don't think it really was you after all."

"Who else would it be?" Damon said.

Selina shrugged. "It seemed like it _should _have been you, because when we were going away from the castle, I said 'thank you for rescuing me, Damon,' and then he said 'you're welcome.' Then, he took off his helmet, and that's when I saw it wasn't you."

"What did he look like?" Stefan asked.

"Oh," Selina let out a breath. "Straight black hair, features similar to Damon's, but really, really dark eyes. He called me _Carina_."

"Oh, my God," Stefan said. "You're kidding, right?"

Selina shook her head. "No, I'm telling the truth. What's the matter?"

"Stella Salvatore," Stefan said.

"What about her?" Selina asked.

"Well," Stefan said, "her husband was named Damon Salvatore too. He was the first one. And Stefan was his brother."

"Oh, my God," Selina said. "Seriously?"

"Yeah," Stefan nodded. "We were obviously named after them."

Selina looked up. "Do you think, in my dream, that I was supposed to be Stella, and not myself?"

"It's possible," Stefan said. "There _was_ a point in Stella's life where she was held hostage and in need of rescue."

"Wait, stop," Damon said. "How come you know all this and I don't?"

"Father told it to me," Stefan said. "Right before you signed up to fight for the Confederacy…"

_The study door was heavy, but Stefan pushed it open and headed inside. "You wanted to see me, Father?" he asked._

"_Yes, please sit down. I have a question for you," Giuseppe said._

"_What is it, Father?" Stefan asked._

"_Is it true that your brother is planning to propose to Selina sometime soon?" Giuseppe asked._

"_Yes," Stefan nodded. "Won't it be wonderful to have her as a permanent part of our family?"_

"_I suppose," Giuseppe replied. "But I really think your brother should see the world before he gets married. Up to now, his entire universe has revolved around that girl."_

"_Pardon me, Father," Stefan said. "But what are you saying?"_

"_I'm worried, Stefan. Worried that history might repeat itself," Giuseppe said._

"_What do you mean?" Stefan asked._

_Giuseppe sighed. "Around four hundred years ago, one of your ancestors fell in love with a woman named Stella. Actually, he'd had affection for her since she was a tiny girl and had to move in with our family because of her abusive grandmother. After some time, your ancestor, Damon Salvatore the first, decided to marry Stella. They had two children, and then about six months after the birth of their second child, a little girl, everyone in the household woke up to find that Stella had gone in the middle of the night without a word to anyone. A few weeks later, Damon the first received a note from Stella that said she was in Germany, and had fallen in love with another man. Damon the first was heartbroken and never quite got over Stella's betrayal."_

"_Are you saying Selina might do the same thing if she and Damon marry?" Stefan asked._

"_There's always a chance," Giuseppe said. He stood up. "Come along, son. I'd like to show you something."_

_He led Stefan to a little-used wing of the house and opened one of the doors. The room was full of dusty furniture and severe paintings. Giuseppe led Stefan to a dark, obscure corner, where a painting of a young woman hung. "This is Stella," he told Stefan. "Does she look familiar to you?"_

_Stefan's intake of breath was sharp. "She looks like Selina," he said. "It's uncanny."_

"_I know," Giuseppe said. "That's why I think it best to send your brother away. We wouldn't want anyone else in this family to be disgraced in the manner your ancestor was. I believe I'll encourage him to sign up to fight."_

_Stefan nodded. "Whatever you think is best, Father."_

"Oh, my God," Selina said. "Your father thought that just because Stella and I look a bit alike and happen to be marrying guys with the same name that I was going to abandon him like she allegedly did?"

"Allegedly?" Stefan asked. "You mean, you don't believe the story?"

"No, I don't." Selina shook her head. "If the dream I had last night was really about Stella and her Damon, there has to be something more to the story. They seemed to be so in love that I doubt she would have left him on purpose."

"You mean, there might be a part of the story that no one actually knows?" Elena asked.

"Yes," Selina nodded vigorously. "That's definitely what I think. I mean, if it holds true for me, Dr. Stensrund, and the Lady in Red, why shouldn't it be true for Stella?"

"There's a way to find out," Amelia said. "We could hold a séance and try to contact Stella. That shouldn't be too difficult, seeing as she seems to be contacting you already."

"How do you think she's doing that?" Selina asked.

"Probably through the necklace," Amelia said. "It was originally hers, right?"

"Yes," Selina nodded, handling the pendent gently.

* * *

Half an hour later, the board was all set up. Amelia turned the lights down and they all sat in a circle. "Stella Salvatore," Amelia intoned. "Are you trying to contact us? Is there a part of your story that you want told?"

Letters began to spell out a word: **yes**

"What is it, Stella?" Selina breathed. A few seconds later, they were puzzled when the board spelled out **not Stella**.

"What do you mean 'not Stella?' Selina asked. **You know me, Selina, **the board said. **Johan.** Selina gasped. "Johan! That's Stella's brother!"

"Why are we talking to Stella's brother?" Amelia wanted to know.

**Stella not here,** the board said. **Stella betrayed by K.P., 1492.**

" 'Stella betrayed by K.P.?" Elena asked. "What does that mean?"

"Katerina Petrova," Damon said. He looked at Selina. "When you attacked Katherine this morning, that's what you called her."

"But that's crazy," Selina said. "Katherine couldn't have been around in 1492. She's my _sister_."

"No, she's not," Amelia said.


	24. Hostess to Murder

Selina stared at her mother, open-mouthed. "Excuse me?" She said. "Did you just say that Katherine isn't my sister?"

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "That's what I said." She leaned in closer. "Why do you look so surprised? I thought you'd be _glad_ when I got around to telling you."

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded vigorously. "I _am_ glad, but if that's the case, why did you keep it a secret all these years? And where the heck did Katherine come from?"

Amelia shrugged. "I have no idea where she came from. You'll have to ask her that. And as for why I kept it a secret, she kind of forced me to."

"Oh, my God," Selina said, putting a hand on her forehead. "So did she just show up at the front door of our house one day and say that she was Mr. Pierce's daughter so we should let her in to come live with us?"

"No," Amelia shook her head. "She was with him the whole time. I think she influenced him to take her in or something."

Selina nodded. "And what do you mean by 'she forced you' to keep her real identity a secret?"

"Well," Amelia said slowly, "like I said, she probably influenced Mr. Pierce to make him think that she was his daughter, and then influenced you to think that when you were a bit older. But when she tried to do it to me, it didn't work as well as she hoped."

"So the whole time you and Mr. Pierce were married, you were aware that Katherine wasn't your daughter?" Elena asked. "Is that why you don't like her very much?"

Amelia nodded. "Of course it is. She told me that if I told anyone that she was really a vampire, she'd go after Selina."

"By why didn't it work trying to compel you when it worked on everyone else?" Selina asked.

Amelia shrugged. "I don't really know. Maybe the werewolf gene counteracted the influence or something."

"If it had something to do with the werewolf gene," Selina said, "then I wouldn't have spent my life being blissfully ignorant of Katherine's true nature."

"You knew enough to know that you didn't like her because she wasn't a good person," Amelia pointed out. "If her influence had been completely successful, you probably would have liked her more."

"Or maybe the hatred that Selina felt wasn't because Katherine was a vampire, but because she believed she and Katherine were sisters," Elena pointed out. "And siblings don't get along all the time."

"I can't help wondering why Katherine would go to such lengths," Stefan said. "Did she have some sort of plan that she needed you for, and that's why she infiltrated your house?"

Just then, the Ouija board came to life again. **Not Warrens**, it said.

"What do you mean 'not Warrens'?" Selina asked.

**K.P. not concerned with Warrens**. The letters were being hit very strongly as if the force that was relaying the information, presumably still Stella Salvatore's brother Johan, was becoming very impatient. **Time with A.W. first part of plan.**

"And what about Mr. Pierce?" Selina asked. "How was _he _involved?" The planchette began to move around quickly, stopping on the word **no** and spinning around. "Are you saying that Mr. Pierce had nothing to do with Katherine's plan?" Selina asked. The planchette jumped around the board again. **Yes. R.P. another victim.**

"Really?" Selina asked. It was really hard to think of Mr. Pierce as a victim after all that he'd done to her. She cleared her throat. "Do you know Katherine's plan?" She asked.

**No.** The planchette landed on the word very hard. **Goodbye.** The planchette came to a halt on the 'e' and no matter what else they said, refused to tell them anymore.

"Well," Amelia said after awhile, "that was fun. Who wants cake?"

* * *

A few hours later, after they had finished cake and opened presents, Amelia came into the kitchen where Selina was drying off the last of the dishes. "Come with me," she said. "I've got a surprise for you."

Selina dried off her hands. "Is it a present, Mama? Because you really don't need to get me anything. I'm old enough that that's not important anymore."

"I didn't spend a ton of money on it, honestly," Amelia said. "It's a family heirloom."

"A family heirloom?" Selina repeated. "What kind of family heirloom?"

Amelia's eyes twinkled. "Come with me and have a look. I think you'll like it."

Full of curiosity, Selina followed her mother to one of the rooms near hers and Damon's. Amelia signaled for her to pause just outside the closed door. "Close your eyes," she said.

"All right," Selina said, shutting them. Amelia opened the door and then took Selina's hand and led her into the room, which was bare except for few chairs and a dressmaker's dummy on which was displayed a truly magnificent gown. It was white, with sleeves designed to be off the shoulder. The bodice and sleeves were satin and the wide skirt was made of alternating tiers of satin and lace. Amelia guided Selina in front of it. "Open your eyes," she said. Selina opened them and gasped. "What is this?" she asked, reaching out to touch it. "It's beautiful."

"It was going to be your wedding dress," Amelia said quietly.

"What?" Selina took her hand away from the gown and turned to her mother in surprise. "What did you say?"

"I said this was going to be your wedding dress," Amelia repeated. "It was my mother's and then it was mine. It's been altered over the years to fit in with the fashions of the time, but it's still the same one we were both married in."

"Oh, my God," Selina said again. "You were worried about Damon dying and our wedding never taking place yet you had the gown made up anyway?"

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "After our first conversation following your announcement that you and Damon were engaged, I realized that I was wrong to tell you what I did. This was my way of making it up to you. But with everything that happened, you never got to see it."

"Well," Selina said, "I think it's beautiful in any case. But why are you showing it to me now?"'

Amelia sat in a chair near the dummy. "You know how when people blow out birthday candles, they always make wishes first?"

"Yeah?" Selina asked.

"Well," Amelia said, "I bet I know what your wish was."

"What?" Selina asked. "Dazzle me."

"You want one more day, don't you?" Amelia asked.

"What do you mean?" Selina asked, sitting on the floor next to her mother's chair.

"Don't tell me that you've never had a day in the last 145 years where you wish you were still living in 1864," Amelia said.

"Actually," Selina said, "I haven't. The 19th century was not kind to me. Back then, I had no will of my own. I was shy and meek and let people stomp all over me. I like who I am much better now."

"You mean," Amelia said, "that you've never looked at Damon since the two of you got back together and wished that you'd been able to get married and happily live out your lives?"

Selina sighed. "All right, you got me there. There are times, at night especially, when I dream about what could have been. And they're good, wonderful dreams. I'm dressed in a dress just like that, and I'm carrying a bouquet of pink roses. Daddy walks with me up the aisle and gives me away Damon and Stefan are standing beside one another wearing neat black suits and smiling. Once Daddy let's me go, he comes to sit next to you. You and he are sitting on one side of the aisle, Giuseppe and Charlotte are on the other," she began to tear up, "and everybody's so happy." Amelia put her arms around Selina.

"I completely understand," she said. "I always go back to Christmas, 1846."

"Why?" Selina asked. Her tears had subsided.

"Because that was the last time that you, your father and I were all together," Amelia said. "It could have been later than that. I probably could have kept him home if I'd really tried."

"I don't think so," Selina told her. "Daddy said that Grandpa Warren was really intent on him going to fight against Mexico so he could carry on the soldier tradition and become a man." Selina sighed. "Sometimes, I just wish I could meet Grandpa Warren and pop him one in the eye for ruining my life."

Amelia tried to frown and failed. "While that might seem justified," she said, "it really isn't. If I can say one thing about my father in law, it's that he loved you very much."

"If that was true, then why did he want me to grow up fatherless?" Selina asked.

"It wasn't that he wanted you to grow up fatherless," Amelia countered. "Remember that family dynamics were different back then. Fathers weren't supposed to be super-involved in their children's lives, especially if those children were daughters, like you were. Your grandfather was only doing what he thought was right."

"What did you mean when you said that you could have kept Daddy home if you really tried?" Selina asked.

Amelia shook her head. "If I would have brought you to your grandparents' house and said something along the lines of 'Matthew going to war will leave Selina fatherless and cause her suffering,' then he probably would have let Matthew stay home or at least come back early because your grandfather hated the idea of you suffering in any way. And I thought about it at first. But then, your father got all excited about expanding America and I got sucked in too, and the thought of keeping him home just kind of fell by the wayside."

"But knowing what you know now," Selina said, "if you could go back, you definitely would try to keep him home?"

"Of course," Amelia said. "Wouldn't you?"

"Actually," Selina said, "I wouldn't have to. When Damon saw how upset I was about him going off to fight, he told Stefan that he was going to risk Giuseppe's anger and quit and come back early for my sake."

"Really?" Amelia asked. "That is so sweet."

"I know," Selina said. "I'm really lucky."

Amelia cleared her throat. "So," she said, "do you want to try this on?"

"Really?" Selina asked.

"Yeah," Amelia nodded. "I have the proper accessories and everything."

"Corsets," Selina said flatly. "And crinolines. Yay."

Amelia laughed. "They weren't the best ideas in the world, were they?"

"No," Selina said as she took off her clothes and Amelia helped her change into the dress, "but I have to admit, some days, I looked really, really good." When they'd finished getting the dress on, Amelia led Selina to a room across the hall that contained a full-length mirror. "Go ahead and twirl," Amelia said. "I want to see how it looks."

Selina did so. "I look really good," she observed.

"I happen to know that Damon's in your room," Amelia said. "Do you want to go down the hall and show him?"

Selina smiled and left the room. When she reached the door to her and Damon's bedroom, she knocked quietly. "Damon, are you in there?" she called. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," he called back.

She opened the door and proceeded into the room, her skirt just barely fitting. "Hi," she said. "Do you want to know what I wished for on my birthday candles?"

Damon was sitting on his bed reading a book. When he looked up and saw her, he gasped. "You look beautiful," he said. "Where'd you get the dress?"

"Mama had it made up for me," she said. "It's the one I would have gotten married in had we had the opportunity to marry 145 years ago."

Damon put the book down and got off the bed, kissing her hand. "I love you," he said. She smiled and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him back, on the lips. "I love you, too." They pulled apart and looked down at the dress in dismay. "One bad thing about this dress," Selina said. "It's a real roadblock to spontaneous expressions of passion, isn't it?"

Damon smiled wickedly. "Maybe that's why they made them that way."

Selina laughed. "Should I go find Mama again and ask her to help me get it off?"

"What are you going to say if she asks you why?" Damon asked.

Selina sighed. "I guess I'll have to be blunt," she said. "And Mama will understand. It's not like _she_ never struggled with the same problem."

"Good luck," Damon called after her as he opened the door. "I'll be here, waiting for you."

"So," Amelia said when Selina returned, "what did Damon think of the dress?"

"He liked it," Selina said quickly. "Now, will you help me get it off?"

Amelia smiled knowingly, just as Selina thought she would. "He liked it that much, huh?" They managed to get the dress off, and Selina quickly changed back into the clothes she'd been wearing before, leaving the room in a hurry.

"I'm back," Selina announced, opening the door.

"You certainly are," Damon said. He'd returned to the bed and removed the majority of his clothes. "I'm glad you changed. Selina looked down at herself. "Not as sexy I know, but at least the outfit's easily removable." And that's just what she proceeded to do, and pretty soon, she'd shed as much clothing as him. Afterward, she climbed into bed beside him. "What did you get me for my birthday?" She asked.

He began to kiss her neck. "What do you want?"

"This is good," she said breathlessly. "More of this." She put her mouth over his and shifted positions so that she was underneath him. "How long has it been?" She asked.

"Too long," he said. "Far too long."

* * *

Some time later, Selina was awakened by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She sat up and got out of bed, putting on a pink silk robe. She grabbed her phone and pressed the send button. "Hello?"

"Hi, Selina," said the voice at the other end. "It's Carol. Are you, Elena, Damon and Stefan still up for helping us host the mystery tonight?"

"The mystery?" Selina said. "What's that?"

"The Halloween party," Mrs. Lockwood said. "You remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Selina's mood sank. She'd just remembered that the four of them had volunteered to help host the Lockwoods' yearly Halloween party. "When do you want us to come help you set up?"

"Half an hour," Mrs. Lockwood said. "Do you think you can make it here by then?"

"Sure," Selina said. "Have you called Elena too?"

"Yes," Mrs. Lockwood said. "I just got off the phone with her."

"All right," Selina said. "See you in a bit, Carol." She snapped her phone shut and shook Damon awake. "Get up," she said. "We need to be at Tyler's in half an hour."

"Why?" Damon asked, getting out of bed and putting his arms around her waist. The feeling of the silk moving against her bare skin was a thrilling sensation. "Why can't we just stay here and continue what we were doing before?"

"Because," Selina said. "My relatives are determined to ruin my birthday by throwing a party and forcing me to be the guest of honor."

"You have to help set up at a party you're the guest of honor for?" Damon asked. "That seems like a rough deal."

Selina sighed. "I just want to get it over with." She went to her closet and began sorting through her dresses to find one suitably gothic-looking. "What are you doing?" Damon asked.

"We have to be in costume," Selina explained. "I laid out a suit for you." She pointed to the door of the second closet, where a suit hung. "Put that on."

He did as she asked and came back to stand behind her. "Do you need me to help you pick a dress out?"

"No," Selina pulled out the infamous blue velvet dress. "I think this'll do just fine. But I'll need to call Mama in to help me get it on."

"I'll go get her," Damon said. He left their room and found Amelia a few minutes later. "Selina needs help with her dress for the Halloween party," he said.

"Oh, all right," Amelia said. "I figured she would, but I didn't want to intrude on you two."

"Thanks," Damon said. He led Amelia back to their bedroom where Selina stood waiting in front of the mirror. "Hi, Mama," she said. "Are you coming to the party too, or are you just going to stay home?"

"I'm going to go, for sure," Amelia said. "I'll get dressed after you are. Then, you can help me."

They got Selina dressed. She removed Stella's necklace and placed it back in its case on the dresser, then she followed Amelia back to her room to help her with her outfit. When the two of them were dressed, they met up with Damon and went to wait for Stefan and Elena, who were coming from Elena's house, in the living room.

* * *

Katherine stared at herself in the mirror. "I look good," she whispered. She twirled around once more. The green ball gown with the lacy off-the-shoulder sleeves was one of the nicest she had. "The perfect outfit for a party." She'd heard about a Halloween party that the Lockwoods were throwing in honor of Selina's birthday, and decided that it would be nice of her to grace her sister with her presence even though she hadn't strictly been invited. "But I know the perfect way to get in," she told herself, smiling.

Elena was putting the final touches on her costume for Selina's party when the doorbell rang. She fastened the necklace around her throat and went to answer the door, gasping when she saw who was on the other side. "Hello, Elena," Katherine said.

"What are you doing here?" Elena said. "Get out!"

"Is that what you're wearing to my sister's party?" Katherine asked. "I think it's cute." Before Elena could move, Katherine had her by the hair. "You're going to let me in now," she said.

"Never," Elena said. Then, she felt the pain of teeth as Katherine bit into her neck and she screamed. "What do you say now?" Katherine asked. "Give the wrong answer again and you'll be very, very sorry. You and everyone else you love."

At that moment, Jenna came down the stairs, her expression looking vague and her eyes glassy. "Hello, Katherine," she said in an expressionless voice. "It's so good to see you. Come in and finish getting ready for the party."

"Thank you, Jenna," Katherine said. "I think I will." She dropped Elena on the floor and stepped into the house. Once she was inside, she picked Elena up off the floor and put her in the closet. Then, she sat on the couch. "Anything else I need to know?" she asked Jenna.

"Stefan's coming at six," Jenna said.

"Oh," Katherine said, grinning. "How nice."

A little while later, the doorbell rang. Katherine opened it to find Stefan on the other side. "Hello," she said. "Come to take me to the party?"

"What are you playing at?" Stefan asked. "What have you done with Elena?"

Katherine clicked her tongue. "Let me have a little fun tonight and maybe I'll tell you," she said.

Stefan realized he had no choice. "Get in the car," he said. "We're already late meeting others."

* * *

Once Stefan and Katherine arrived, they got in their cars and headed for the mayor's house. "Hi, all of you," Mrs. Lockwood said, smiling as she opened the door. "You all look great."

"That dress was a great choice," Tyler said to Selina, coming up behind his mother. He was dressed in the uniform of a Confederate soldier. "You really look like you fit in."

"Yeah," Selina said. "It doesn't hurt that this dress is period." The point of the party was that was supposed to be like a murder mystery. The type of thing where somebody died in the beginning and everyone was supposed to spend the rest of the evening figuring out who the murderer was. Mrs. Lockwood had recruited the four of them plus Amelia and Tyler to play the main cast of the murder mystery.

"Who's the victim?" Amelia asked. "I can't remember. It's me, right?"

"Yes," Carol nodded. "You're a sugar heiress whose father has just died. You think you're the prime beneficiary in his will, but then you discover that you have some competition for his fortune. And one of them", she gestured at the rest of the group, "is quite ruthless."

"Fun," Amelia said.

They ran over their parts and then the doorbell rang for the first time. Over the next hour, people arrived and once everyone was situated in the living room, Mrs. Lockwood called for quiet. "Hello, everyone," she said. "I'm so glad to see you here to help us celebrate Halloween. Tonight, you will witness a murder. It will be your job to help figure out the culprit from several suspects, all of whom have very good reasons for wanting the victim dead. Since there are so many of you here, you'll be working in teams. Pay close attention to the clues, and have fun with it!"

Everyone did as she asked and pretty soon the mansion was full of people swapping clues and voicing theories about who the murderer was. After an hour had passed, Amelia headed to the bathroom to fix up her hair. A few minutes later, Katherine came in.

"I think I'm the murderer," she said.

Amelia stopped playing with her hair and turned around. "What are you saying?"

"I've been paying attention to the clues, and I think I'm the one who killed you," Katherine repeated. "It's entirely obvious that the beautiful Slavic countess was the one who did it. Don't you agree?"

"Maybe," Amelia said, starting to feel uneasy. "But we can't be sure, until we reach the end, can we?"

"Tell me something, Amelia," Katherine said, circling her. "How is it that Selina knows who I am?"

"You're the girl who ruined her life, how could she not know who you are?" Amelia said.

"No," Katherine shook her head and a slow smile spread across her face. "How does she know who I _really _am? How does she know about Katerina Petrova?"

"She could have learned it from any number of places," Amelia said.

"But she didn't, did she?" Katherine asked. "You told her, didn't you?"

Slowly, Amelia nodded.

Katherine shook her head. "It's just a pity, isn't it? I told you what would happen if Selina ever found out the truth, didn't I?"

"You did," Amelia said. "But I'm glad she knows. Do whatever you want. I don't care anymore."

"You know," Katherine said, "I was going to kill Selina, but I think I'll just settle for killing you. How does that sound?" Before Amelia could reply, Katherine had her by throat, knocking her to the floor. She pinned Amelia so that she was incapable of movement. Then, she grabbed some cord from her bag and tied Amelia up. Leaving her to struggle, Katherine went to the garage where she found three containers of gasoline. She took them into the house and past the living room where everyone was still exchanging ideas and clues. She entered the bathroom. "Miss me?" she asked Amelia.

When Amelia saw the gasoline, her eyes widened and she began to scream. Katherine ripped some of the fabric off her long sleeves and stuffed it into Amelia's mouth. Then, she opened the containers of gasoline. She poured them all over Amelia's violently struggling body. She pulled a matchbox from her purse, struck a match, and dropped it onto Amelia's body, followed by another and another. Soon, Amelia's body was in flames. Smiling with satisfaction, Katherine left the bathroom, locking the door behind her, heading to another bathroom to change out of her smoky dress into another one.

* * *

Tyler was the first one to smell the smoke. He grabbed Selina and Damon who were going around helping guests and said, "do you smell smoke, or is it just me?"

Selina sniffed. "No, it's not just you." They followed the smell to just outside one of the bathrooms. Tyler opened the door and the three were hit with a wall of heat and smoke. "You have to go in Tyler," Selina said, coughing. "If we go, it'll kill us both."

"I don't think _anybody_ should go in yet," Tyler said. "I'll go call the fire department, you tell my parents."

Selina and Damon headed back into the living room where they were met by Stefan. "What's going on?" he asked.

"There's a fire," Selina said. "I need to tell Richard and Carol."

Once the mayor and Mrs. Lockwood became aware of the fire, the party broke up quickly. People ran for the nearest door, and Mayor Lockwood led those who were still around outside, where he called the fire department.

Once the fire was out, one of the firemen came out of the house clutching a scrap of fabric in one fist. "The fire started in one of the upstairs bathrooms," he said.

"Damn flaming wall sconces," the mayor said, frowning. "I knew something bad would happen one day."

"No flaming wall sconce started that fire," the fireman said. "It looked to be a deliberate act of arson. We found a body inside. It's pretty badly charred, but it was wearing this fabric."

He held it out. Selina took it and her lip began to quiver. "It," she said slowly, "was my mother. My mother is dead."


	25. Detente

Katherine smiled to herself as she watched everyone clustering around outside the mansion. Feeling a touch on her shoulder, she turned around to see Mason. "What's going on?" he asked. Why is everyone so worked up?"

She smiled and put her arms around him. "I just did you a big favor. You'll be thanking me for years."

"What did you do?" Mason asked.

"I made absolutely certain that Selina will want to be with you, at least long enough for the plan to work."

"It must've been something really good you came up with," he said. "Because every time I try something, she always finds some way to get back to Damon; I can never keep her at the house long enough. So," he paused. "What exactly _did_ you do?"

"I killed her mother," Katherine said.

"Wait a minute!" Mason cried, starting. "What do you mean you killed Aunt Amelia?"

"Exactly what you think I mean, Mason," Katherine said. "I tied her up, covered her with gasoline, and set her on fire."

"But _why_?" Mason asked.

Katherine smirked. "Do I really need a reason? If you want one though, I have several: Amelia gave my real personality and possibly my motives away, your ineptitude was starting to get on my nerves, I like seeing Selina cry…you want more? Because I've got more."

"You said I was going to love you forever for this," Mason said through his teeth. "But I really don't see that right now."

"Oh, you will," Katherine assured him. "Just wait a minute." Then, she was gone. Mason decided to go over to where the group was huddled and see what was going on. "What's going on here?" he asked.

"Oh, Mason, there you are," Mrs. Lockwood said. "We've had a tragedy. Amelia's been killed, possibly murdered."

"Really?" Mason asked. "How did it happen? Has anyone seen a body?"

"No," Mayor Lockwood shook his head. "Apparently one of the upstairs bathrooms caught fire and Amelia was locked in it with no way out."

Mason breathed in sharply. "My God," he said. "How's Selina? I take it she knows about this?"

"Yes," Mayor Lockwood nodded. "I probably don't need to say that she's really upset. Tyler took her to the boathouse to try and calm her down."

"Do you think I should go too?" Mason asked.

"Sure," Mayor Lockwood nodded. "I bet she needs all the support she can get right now."

* * *

Mason made his way to the boathouse where he found Tyler, Selina, Stefan and Damon. "Hi," he said. "Anyone need anything?"

"A gun?" Selina said, sniffling. "Or something wooden and pointy?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Mason said. "I know you're upset, Selina. But there are other ways to deal with it."

"Not for _me_," Selina said. "For _Katherine_. Don't think I didn't notice she was here."

"And that's my fault," Stefan said. "I was the one who brought her. I went to Elena's house to pick her up, and Katherine had gotten in somehow and hidden Elena so that she wouldn't be able to come and I had to bring Katherine instead."

"I don't blame you," Selina said. She sniffled again and Tyler gave her a tissue to blow her nose. "Why do all my birthdays have to suck?"

"I'm sorry about the last one," Damon said. "I know that was somewhat my fault." She put her arms around him. "I know it was. But things have gotten better since then. Much better."

"And just like you recovered from that," Tyler said, "you'll get through this. We all will."

"This is just like after Daddy was killed," Selina said. "I feel exactly the same way."

Tyler stood up. "I'm going to go get a drink," he said. "Anyone else want anything?"

Everyone shook their heads and he left. Mason watched him go and took the seat he'd vacated. "What do _you_ want?" Damon asked icily.

"I heard what happened to Aunt Amelia and my brother told me Selina was upset, so I thought I'd come and see if there was anything I could do," he said. He looked at Selina. "There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No," Selina pulled away from Damon slightly. "In fact, I'm glad for it."

"_What_?" Damon asked. His face crumpled just a little.

"Please don't look at me like that," Selina said to him. "Mama was the last member of immediate family that I had, and now she's dead. In order for me to get through this, I need to spend time with my family and get their love and support. You understand that, don't you?"

"No," Damon said. "No, I don't." He frowned at Mason. "_You _did this, didn't you?" He said. "_You _killed Amelia because you knew that this is exactly what would happen. You have no shame, do you? Tyler kills Matthew to help Michael achieve his sick ends and now you do the same with Amelia, only for yourself, which is really worse."

"I didn't have anything to do with this, I _swear_," Mason said.

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't believe a word you say," Damon told him. "It's not like I have any reason to. Like your no-good ancestor Michael, you've indicated that you have some twisted romantic affection for my wife. You made that very clear when you bit her, _knowing_ that werewolf bites kill vampires, but also knowing at the same time that biting Selina, since she has the werewolf gene, would turn her human rather than killing her permanently. You then brainwashed her into hating me and prevented her from having a normal life, forcing her to become dependent on you. Do you deny any of that?"

"No," Mason sighed. "No, I don't." He looked at Selina. "I'm sorry about all that," he said. "I didn't mean for it to get out of hand like it did. I was just worried about you, that's all."

Selina nodded. "I know," she said. "I understand. I'm grateful that my family still cares about me, but you have to remember that I've been around for quite awhile. I've learned the ways of the world and am totally capable of defending myself if need be. I'm not the same girl Michael always worried about, legitimately, I might add. I've changed, for the better. Can you understand that?"

"I guess," Mason admitted. "Are you still planning to stay with us for a little while?"

"Yes," Selina nodded. She stood up. "Could you go tell Richard, so he knows?"

"Sure," Mason nodded and made his way to the door of the boathouse. "See you in a little bit."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Damon gently pulled Selina down to a sitting position. "What the hell was that?" he asked.

"What was what?" Selina replied.

"How could you want to stay with the Lockwoods after all they did to you?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"You mean turning me human and giving me a second chance at a normal life?" Selina asked.

"Not to mention imprisoning you in the mansion and cutting off all your contact with the outside world," Damon added. He looked up at her. "I don't like this," he said. "I forbid it."

_"Excuse me?" _Selina said incredulously. "It's my life. You can't tell me how to grieve. If you're so immature and paranoid that you can't handle me spending a few days in the company of my family to help myself deal with the loss of my mother, then I just don't think I can deal with you anymore."

"Wait, hold on," Stefan said. "I see where this is going and I want to head it off at the pass. Damon, you've said that you're starting to have a fragile trust in Tyler. He'll be with her too, and so Richard and Carol. It's not like Mason and Selina will be all alone together."

"And tell me what you're thinking," Selina said. "Do you honestly believe that the second I'm away from you and Mason tries something out that I'm just going to forget about you and fall heedlessly into his waiting arms? Good God, I thought you had more faith in me than that, but maybe not."

"It worked once," Damon said. "And that means he might try it again."

"How about we cross that bridge when we come to it?" Selina said. "I've got to go. Mason's probably told Richard about me wanting to stay with them, and I bet they're waiting for me." She stood up and left the boathouse, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

"Well that was nicely handled," Stefan said. "Here she is mourning the loss of her mother and you practically accuse her of cheating on you."

"Well, you understand where I'm coming from, right?" Damon said. "You know why I'm worried, and _don't _try to tell me that my feelings aren't legitimate."

"Some of them are, I won't deny that. I just think that letting her go is the best thing. She's going to come back though," Stefan said. "You just need to be patient and let her grieve."

"If you ask me," Damon said, "the best way for her to deal with her grief is to kill Katherine, not spend who knows how long with Mason Lockwood."

"Maybe," Stefan said. "But that's really not up to you."

* * *

"Hi everyone," Selina said, coming upon Richard, Carol, Tyler and Mason in the backyard.

"Hi Selina," Carol said. "Are you feeling any better?"

"A little," Selina said.

"Mason said you want to stay with us for the next couple of days," Mayor Lockwood said.

"Yeah," Selina told him. "If it's not too much of an inconvenience."

"Of course not," Mayor Lockwood said. "We were just talking and have come up with a plan for the next week or so. Do you want to hear it?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "Go ahead and tell me."

"We have a cabin on the lake, and I was thinking that you, Tyler and Mason could stay there while Carol and I handle burial arrangements," Mayor Lockwood said. "Can I assume you don't want any part of that?"

"No, I don't," Selina said. "Thank you for taking care of it."

"Not a problem," Mayor Lockwood said. "So, you probably need to go home and pack, don't you?"

"You think we should leave _now_?" Selina asked.

"Why not?" Mason asked. "Let's let the healing process begin."

Selina nodded and Tyler drove her back to the boardinghouse. "So," Damon said when he opened the door, "have you decided to stay?"

"No," Selina shook her head as she stepped inside. "Tyler, Mason and I are going to stay at the cabin on the lake while Richard and Carol handle Mama's burial arrangements and I need to get my things."

Elena came into the living room and sat next to Stefan on the couch. "What's going on?" she asked. She looked at Selina. "Stefan told me what Katherine did to your mother, Selina. I'm very sorry."

"Thank you," Selina said. "Are _you_ okay? I know I'm not the only one Katherine victimized this evening."

"I'm okay," Elena said. "Just a little shaken. Now tell me, what's going on?"

"Selina decided that the best way to deal with her grief was to spend time with Tyler and Mason at the cabin on the lake," Damon said. "It was their suggestion."

"Really?" Elena said. "I don't know if you should do that."

"Thank you!" Damon said.

"You too?" Selina asked. "Why not?"

"Because there's a full moon in two days. And remember what happened the last couple of times you were out during a full moon," Elena said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Mason bit me and I died."

"Yep," Elena said. "And the one before that, you killed a whole bunch of people, injured my brother, and ended up getting Tyler to glory in his werewolf heritage. Who knows what'll happen this time when you're alone at some cabin in the middle of nowhere with two werewolves and no outside supervision?"

"Why do you assume something will?" Selina told her. "It could be that nothing will happen at all."

"I doubt that," Damon said. "Two werewolves full of animal lust during the full moon in the company of somebody they have feelings for. I highly doubt you're going to come out of this okay."

"What are you implying?" Selina asked. "Are you worried that we're going to end up in a threesome by the end of the night?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Damon said.

"Geez," Selina smiled. "Jealous much?"

"I think we've established by now that the answer is 'yes,'" Elena said.

Just then the phone in the kitchen rang. "I'll get it," Damon said.

Once in the kitchen, he picked the phone up off the hook. "Hello," he said. "If this is anyone from the Lockwood family, I have no desire to talk to any of you."

"Yes, you do," Tyler said. "I bet Selina's told you that she, Mason and I are going to spend some quality time together."

"Yeah," Damon said. "She told me that. And that you'll be staying at your lake house."

"Yeah," Tyler said. "And did you know also that it's going to be a full moon in a couple of days?"

"We just discussed that," Damon said. "Are you gloating? What are you planning?"

"Nothing," Tyler said. "At least _I'm_ not. "But I overheard Katherine tell Mason that the reason why she killed Aunt Amelia was so that Selina would be depressed and come and stay with us. I think it was all part of the plan to get Stella's necklace."

Damon clutched the phone. "Do you think you can get Mason to tell you what Katherine wants with it?" he asked. "Do you think Mason would know?"

"Maybe," Tyler said. "I'll ask. And now to why I called: Mason's probably going to try and get Stella's necklace for Katherine during the full moon. You and Stefan come by the house then and we can stop him before Selina gets hurt."


	26. Sacrifice

"Here we are," Mason said grandly as he drove up to the side of the lake house and parked. "Great, isn't it?"

"I don't know," Selina said as she gazed up at it. It was made almost entirely out of wood and had a green-painted roof. Two levels of balconies connected by a set of stairs jutted out from the front. "I didn't expect it to look so…rustic."

Tyler got out and stood beside her. "This is hardly rustic. It's like a wood _mansion_. You should see the inside. It's awesome."

Suddenly, Selina burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" Tyler asked. "The three of us standing out here in front of a wooden house made me think of the three little pigs for some reason. You know how the second pig builds his house of twigs and sticks and then won't let the wolf in?"

Mason grinned. "Well this time," he said, putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out a set of keys, "the wolf has keys. No huffing and puffing necessary." He unlocked the door and then situated himself so that he was on Selina's other side and the three of them went up the stairs and into the house.

"Oh, my God," Selina said, gaping openly at the high ceilings and large pieces of furniture covered in oil cloths. "You weren't kidding about this place, were you?" she asked Tyler.

"Nope," he shook his head. "You like it?"

"Um, of course," Selina said.

"So," Mason took a seat on a dark green recliner after removing the cloth. "What do you guys want to do now? I'm sure there's boggle or something around here."

"Actually," Selina said, "I'd like to go to bed, if you don't mind. I've had a really long day and I just need some sleep."

"Sure," Mason said. "Do you need me to show you where the rooms are, or do you want to explore?"

"Could you take me?" Selina asked. "I have next to no sense of direction."

"The room next to mine is empty," Tyler said quickly. "I could take you."

"Thanks," Selina said as he took her bag and led her up a set of stairs so that they were facing a long hallway with rooms on either side. "Where's your room?" she asked.

"Follow me," he said. He went down three doors on the left side of the hallway and stopped, opening the third door. "My room's the second door," he said. "I don't know where Mason's going to hang out, though." He headed into Selina's room and put her bag on the bed. "Good night," he said. "Try and get some sleep, even though it might be difficult for you. Things will look better in the morning if you do."

"I'll try," she said. "Thanks, Tyler."

He nodded and headed out of the room, pausing next to the doorframe and turning around. "If there's anything you need during the night, don't hesitate to come get me."

Selina nodded and as soon as he was gone, changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed, clapping the lights off. She lay her head down on her pillow and shut her eyes, willing sleep to come.

* * *

Tyler's eyes opened quite suddenly. He sat up in bed, wondering what had disturbed him enough to jolt him awake. He looked at the clock on his bedside table and saw that he'd only been asleep for about an hour or two. Groaning in frustration, he fell back onto his pillow and pulled the covers over himself again. It was as he was trying to settle back down that he heard the sobbing. It sounded like it was coming from next door. Curious, he threw his covers aside and got out of bed, slowly opening his bedroom door and tiptoeing to Selina's room. He opened the door and crept inside Selina's room, turning on her bedside lamp. When the light hit her, he gasped. Her sheets were crazily thrown all over the bed as if she'd been doing nothing but tossing and turning. She was just lying on her bed, not covered at all, and although her eyes were closed, her breathing was coming in shallow gasps and tears were streaming down her cheeks. When she made to roll over again, he put his hand on her shoulder and held her steady.

Then, she opened her eyes. "Hi," he said. "What's going on?"

She gazed at him blankly for a moment. "What?" she said finally.

"Sounds like you're having some trouble sleeping," he said. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

"I've been having the worst dreams about Mama," she said. "Just these horrible visions of her going up in flames and…" she broke out into gasping sobs.

"It's okay," he said, putting his arms around her. "Remember, they're only dreams. They can't hurt you."

She sniffled and nodded. "Thanks. I needed that."

"So," he said, "do you want me to stay in here with you? I could sit in that chair over there."

He motioned to an old rocking chair in the corner. "Sure," Selina said. "And thanks."

"No problem," he said, taking a seat. "But don't expect me to sing you any lullabies or anything. My singing is worse than my dancing."

Selina smiled and lay back down, drawing the covers over herself. "Good night," she said.

"Good night," Tyler told her.

* * *

"Who was on the phone?" Stefan asked.

"Tyler Lockwood," Damon said. "He told me that he overheard a conversation between Mason and Katherine where Katherine said that the sole purpose of Amelia's death was to make Selina upset so that she would go and stay with the Lockwoods. Then, it would be easier for Katherine to get her hands on Stella's necklace."

"Did he also happen to mention _why _Katherine wants Stella's necklace so bad?" Stefan asked. Damon shook his head. "No, but he's going to try and get that out of Mason soon and he said that he'd report it back to me once he found anything out." He frowned. "I _really_ hate having to rely on Tyler Lockwood for anything," he said.

"I know you do," Stefan said, "but that's how it has to be for now."

"Tyler also said," Damon continued, "that Mason and Katherine would probably try to get the necklace during the full moon when everybody's vulnerable. He told us to come by then and get Selina and the necklace away, maybe even getting to kill Mason and Katherine in the process."

"Us?" Stefan asked. "As in you and me?"

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "Unless you don't _want_ to come."

"Of course I want to come," Stefan said. "But we're dealing with Katherine as well as a werewolf minion here. We're going to need some more backup."

"Backup for what?" Elena asked, coming to sit next to Stefan on the couch.

"The raid we're going to launch on that Lockwood lake house when Katherine tries to get Stella's necklace during the full moon."

"Do we know yet why Katherine wants it so bad?" Elena asked.

"No," Damon shook his head. "But I can't _wait_ to find out."

* * *

"Now remind me again why you want this necklace of Selina's so badly?" Mason asked.

"Because," Katherine said, "if I don't get my hands on it, it could kill me."

"Why?" Mason asked, laughing a little. "It's a _necklace_ for God's sake. How could it possibly kill you?"

"Five hundred years ago," Katherine told him, "I did something that I shouldn't have. I told a little white lie that got a friend of mine kidnapped and beaten to death and once she was dead, I kind of went to her house and turned her husband and brother-in-law into vampires."

"Seriously?" Mason said. "She obviously wasn't that good of a friend if you did all that to her."

"I didn't mean to, not really. It was just that her grandmother asked for my help in getting her to marry this other man because Stella's husband wasn't on her grandmother's list of appropriate marriage choices."

"And her grandmother had a better choice in mind?" Mason finished.

"Of course she did," Katherine said. "So she had some of her henchmen spirit Stella back to Germany in the middle of the night where she promptly imprisoned her in a tower of the castle until she agreed to the arranged marriage."

"But let me guess," Mason said, "she never agreed to the wedding, and that's why she was beaten to death?"

"Yeah," Katherine nodded.

"But where do you come in?" Mason asked.

"I arrived at the original Salvatore estate a few days after Selina's husband received a note from her saying that she _had _agreed to her grandmother's arranged marriage and had no desire to return to Italy or him or their children. He knew Stella and I were friends, so he asked me if what was in the note was true or a lie and I told him it was true. And just to be sure he wouldn't go after her, that's when I turned him and his brother into vampires."

"But the deal you made with Stella's grandmother—what was in it for you?"

"My safety of course," Katherine said. "Stella's grandmother was a close friend of the pope and at that point, vampires were being rounded up in droves. She knew what I was and threatened to expose me unless I betrayed my best friend."

"And the necklace?"

"I think Stella's soul is in that necklace," Katherine said. "And she possesses every person who has it in an attempt to find and destroy me for what I did to her. Now she has her claws in Selina. That's why I need to get my hands on the necklace."

"But if Stella's soul is tied to the necklace," Mason said slowly, "what do you think will happen when she realizes that _you_ have it?"

"I don't know," Katherine said. "I don't have it yet, do I? But I will, and we'll find out then, won't we?"

* * *

"Did you bring the stuff?" Stefan asked as he opened the door of the boardinghouse to find Alaric standing on the other side. "What do you think?" Alaric asked. "Could I have a little help?" Stefan took two boxes from Alaric's laden arms and placed them on the sofa. "Thanks," Alaric said.

"Looks like you brought a little of everything, didn't you?" Damon asked. "That's good."

"Well," Alaric shrugged. "Never hurts to be prepared. Now, what exactly are we doing again?" he looked at Stefan. "You weren't very specific on the phone."

"Selina's at a lake house owned by the Lockwoods. Mason and Tyler are with her. It's a full moon tomorrow and Tyler told me he believes that that's when Mason and Katherine are going to try to take the necklace to fulfill some evil plan of hers. We don't exactly know what that is yet, though. So don't ask," Damon said.

"Oh, okay," Alaric said. "So it's a rescue mission mostly."

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "Exactly."

"And I'm here to help disable the werewolves by magic so that they don't kill the two of you," Bonnie said to Stefan.

"So we all know what we have to do," Elena said. "We have to be careful though. If we do something dumb, it could be bad for Selina or any one of us."

* * *

"Good morning," Tyler said as he watched Selina sit up. "Morning," she said, yawning. "Thanks for staying here last night. I really needed it."

"No problem," Tyler said. "I have something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Selina asked. "Is it something bad?"

"Kind of," he admitted. "I suspect that Katherine's going to show up during the full moon tomorrow and try and steal Stella's necklace while everything is chaos. I told Damon about it and he said that he and Stefan would be here then to help us head her off."

"Us?" Selina said, looking at him in surprise. "You're going to be out fighting with the team during the full moon? But won't that be a problem? I mean, you're going to transform. You could hurt people. Maybe even me. And I don't _want_ to be a werewolf! I'm perfectly happy just the way I am." Selina suddenly shivered. "Did you feel a draft in here?" she asked.

Tyler nodded. "I think I did." He got up to close the bedroom door, which had stood open before. Then, he turned around and gasped. "Selina," he said slowly, "do you see what I see?"

Selina looked by the door. There was a man standing against the wall who hadn't been there before. She'd never met him before, but she knew who he was. "Hello, Uncle Jacob," she said. "What brings you here?"

"You two," he said. "I sensed you had some werewolf questions."

"Well, actually we do," she said. "Tomorrow night, it's a full moon and thanks to an unfortunate incident during a past full moon, Tyler here is fully aware of the family heritage."

"You mean, fully aware," Jacob said. He looked at Tyler. "The curse is active in you?"

"Yeah," Tyler nodded.

"So what we want to know, Uncle Jacob," Selina said, "is, if he goes out tomorrow night, and I'm out with him, will he attack me and turn me?"

Jacob shook his head. "No dear, it's only those who don't have the gene that are in true danger on the night of a full moon. Unless he has a plan to kill you prior to his transformation just as Mason did earlier, in his wolf form, he will sense that you are a friend, and won't attack you."

"So when Katherine comes to take Stella's necklace back and very possibly kill Selina for not giving it to her, I'll be able to fight and defend and not worry about inadvertently turning Selina into a werewolf?"

"Exactly," Jacob nodded. "Just be very careful of the others," he said. "Remember, they won't recover the way Selina will if you go after them."

Tyler nodded. "Thanks."

"Any time," Jacob said, grinning as he slowly faded away.

"Well, that was certainly odd," Selina said. "But very useful. So, you'll be fighting Katherine and Mason with us tomorrow?"

"Yep," Tyler nodded. "I wouldn't miss it. So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

"Probably prepare for tomorrow," Selina said. "My symptoms caused by full moons usually happen _way_ before the moon comes up. You'll probably have to deal with slutty, moody me all day."

"A case of PFMS," Tyler said, grinning. "Bring it on."

"PFMS?" Selina asked.

"Pre-Full Moon Syndrome."

* * *

The next day, Tyler didn't see Selina until mid-afternoon. He was sketching in his room when he heard the knock on his door. "Come in," he called absently, then turned. "Hi," he said. "I wondered when I'd see you, Selina."

"Sorry," she said, striding into his room. "I had some shopping to do and it took me quite a while." She sat down on the divan and stared up at him. "Would you do me a favor?" she asked.

"Sure," he said. "Anything."

She shifted position slightly. "Would you sketch me?"

"Sure," he said. "No problem." He took a pencil in hand and began to make an outline of her face. "Wait," she said. "Not like this."

He paused and put the pencil back on his desk. "How, then?"

She stood up from the divan and removed her jacket. "Oh, my God," Tyler breathed. "You _do_ know you're not wearing anything right now, right?"

She grinned. "Of course I do. Listen, I've had so many portraits made of me in my life that the last thing I need is another one of me looking like a porcelain doll." She fished around in one of the pockets of the jacket and pulled out the cross necklace. "Could you fasten this for me?" she asked.

Tyler nodded silently and stood up, coming up behind her and fastening the necklace, the cross resting neatly between her breasts. "So," she said. "How would you like me to position myself?"

He blinked. "What?" he asked.

"How would you like me to position myself?" she repeated. "For the portrait."

"Oh," his voice was shaky. "You're fine just the way you are."

"Really?" she said. "Because I'd be perfectly happy to try a new position."

Tyler blinked as he heard the crunch. He looked down and saw that the pencil he held was now snapped cleanly in two.

"Would you like me to get you another one?" she asked.

"No," Tyler shook his head. "I'll get it."

He got another pencil and through pure willpower managed to get the sketch done. "So," Selina said once he was done, "what would you like to do now? Me?"

She stood up and strode over to him. "Let me put you out of your misery." She captured his mouth with hers. He backed her up onto the divan, undressed, and soon, the world was gone.

"You look happy," Mason said knowingly as Tyler came down the stairs. "Did something good happen?"

"I made a sketch I'm proud of, that's it. I swear."

"Oh, please," Mason laughed. "I know exactly what was going on. I've been there before."

"Have you been there on the day of a full moon?" Tyler asked. "It's even better then." He paused. "That's right; you haven't." At that moment, Selina, dressed in a bathrobe, came downstairs. "Hello, Mason," she greeted him. "I'm hungry. Did you make something?"

"I could make you a sandwich," he offered. "Or you could make it yourself."

Selina put her hands on her hips. "Are you sore because you think I've been neglecting you?" she asked.

"No," Mason said huffily.

"Now you're lying to me," Selina said, getting out the turkey, mustard and bread. "Look, it's not my fault that this necklace does nothing for you. If you wanted one, you should have gotten it made up like Tyler did. He took initiative and now look what he's got." She turned away from the counter to face them for a minute before grabbing her sandwich and heading out of the kitchen.

"Is she always a slut during full moons?" Mason asked Tyler.

"A little," Tyler admitted. "But when she was a vampire, she was violent too." He paused. "So what are _you_ going to do tonight?" he asked. "Staying in because of the full moon?"

"Actually," Mason said, "a friend of mine is stopping by. Selina has something of hers and she wants it back."

Tyler's eyes widened. "So Katherine _is_ going to try and get Stella Salvatore's necklace from Selina tonight!"

"How did you know about that?" Mason asked.

"I overheard you and Katherine talking about it at the Halloween party," he said. "You might want to be a bit more subtle about it next time. So, when's Katherine coming over?"

"I'm not going to tell you," Mason shook his head. "You don't need to be getting involved this!"

"Yes, I do." Tyler nodded. "Yes, I do."

Mason shook his head and went into the living room to watch some television while Tyler grabbed the phone and dialed the boardinghouse. "Come tonight when the moon comes up," he said when Damon answered. "Mason told me Katherine's coming for the necklace."

Once the moon came up, the doorbell rang. Tyler went to answer it, careful to stay out of the moonlight that the door brought in with it. It wasn't time for that yet. "Hello, Tyler," Katherine said. "Have you seen your uncle?"

Tyler shook his head. "Not since this afternoon. But I'm sure he's around somewhere."

Katherine found him in his room. "We have a problem," Mason said as soon as she entered. "Tyler knows what we're up to."

"How is that a problem?" Katherine said. "We can kill him; then it'll be just like things were before."

"No, Katherine," Mason said. "I'm not going to kill Tyler."

"You might not even have to," Katherine said. "I've heard that full moons tend to make Selina be off her guard. She probably isn't even watching the necklace now. Where do you think she keeps it?"

"I'd check her room," Mason said. "It's the third door upstairs. She's not wearing it now. She replaced it with the one that has the spell on it." He grinned. "The full moon makes her do such crazy things."

Katherine slowly opened Selina's bedroom door and saw that the necklace was sitting on her dresser. "Bingo," she whispered. She advanced into the room, but after she took two steps, a stake shot through the air and embedded itself in her shoulder. She cried out and fell to the ground in a heap.

"Hello, Katherine," Damon said, hefting the stake gun and climbing through the window. He strolled over to Selina's dresser. "Were you looking for this?" he asked, picking up the necklace and dangling it in front of her.

"As a matter of fact," she said, pulling the stake out of her shoulder and groaning a little. "I was. Are you going to give it to me?"

Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door. A minute later, Mason entered. "If we're going to fight, which I assume we are, we should take it outside. If we break anything, my brother will kill me."

Looking at one another for a moment, the three of them headed down the stairs and out of the house where everyone else stood waiting. They watched in horrified fascination as Mason and Tyler transformed. Bonnie took Mason down first and then the rest of them proceeded to deal with Katherine.

Damon had grabbed Stella's necklace on his way out of the house and gave it back to Selina once they were outside. Katherine focused her energy on Selina of course, but thanks to Tyler's help, she always failed. Finally, grunting with frustration, she pulled a knife seemingly from out of nowhere. "All right," she whispered. "No more Miss Nice Girl." She advanced on wolf Tyler. Selina, despite being out of it for most of the day, realized what was about to happen. "No!" she cried, launching herself in the knife's path just as Katherine flung it in the wolf's direction. The knife landed in her chest and as blood spurted from the wound, Selina crumpled in a heap on the ground.

"It's over," Katherine said, ripping the necklace away from Selina's prone, shallowly breathing body. "Game. Set. Match." Before anyone could move to stop her, she ran. They all stood frozen for a moment afterward. Then, they came back to life again.

"Selina, oh, my God!" Damon and Stefan kneeled on the ground next to her, trying to hold her up. "Don't die on me," Damon said. "Don't leave me."

"It hurts so much," Selina said weakly. "Make it stop hurting."

"You two get Selina in the house," Alaric said. "I'll call the ambulance."

After they were sure the ambulance was on its way, Alaric and Bonnie left, leaving Stefan and Damon alone with Selina in the living room. They looked up when they heard the horrified gasp. "My God," Tyler said. "Is she going to die?" Being out of the moonlight had allowed him to regain his human form.

"Looks like it," Damon said. "The knife got her pretty good. Now all we can do is wait for the ambulance."

"Guess again." Damon looked up at the new voice and gasped in surprise. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you were dead."

"I _am_ dead," Matthew Warren said. "But under special circumstances, I'm allowed to come back." He took Selina's hand in his and her eyes widened. "You're solid, Daddy," she said.

"During full moons, spirits can return if they choose. I heard from Uncle Jacob that you might need me, so I came. How are you feeling, baby?"

"It hurts so much," she repeated. "Make it stop hurting."

He kissed her on the forehead. "I could," he said. "But that's not the only way." He pushed his brown hair out of his eyes.

"You mean you didn't come to get her spirit, or whatever happens when someone dies?" Damon asked.

"That's one option. But you or Tyler have the power to save her life. She doesn't _have_ to die," Matthew said. His green eyes were serious.

"Great," Selina muttered. "Guys planning my life without consulting me. Again."

"Well, sweetheart," Matthew said, "do you _want_ to die?"

"No," Selina shook her head, taking Damon's hand. "I want to live. I want to live forever."


	27. A Promise Kept

"Well, I guess that simplifies everything, doesn't it?" Matthew asked, kissing her forehead again.

"The ambulance is here," Stefan said. He'd been watching out the window. Now he turned to Damon who still had a hold on Selina. "Do you want me to come to the hospital with you, or would you rather go alone?"

Damon looked up. "Let's all go," he said. "We're her family; they'll let us all near her."

"Even me?" Tyler asked in surprise. "You actually _want_ me to come with you?"

Damon cocked his head and shifted Selina gently. "She obviously thinks enough about you that she risked her life to save yours. I'm not going to just ignore that." Before Tyler could respond, the EMTs came in and they got Selina onto a stretcher. She was in and out of consciousness on the way to the hospital, and it was only because Matthew snuck in and rode with them that Damon was able to keep calm.

A doctor met them at the emergency room entrance. "Are you all family?" he asked. They nodded. "I'm her husband," Damon said. "This is my brother," he gestured at Stefan. "And I'm her cousin," Tyler added. "Is she going to be okay?" he paused. "I mean, I know that no one's looked at her much yet, but can you tell anything just with a cursory glance?"

The doctor looked over to the stretcher where Selina was still laid out, a breathing mask over her mouth and nose, her eyes closed, her midsection covered with blood. "Just looking at her, it doesn't look promising. Could you tell me what happened to her?"

The three of them looked at one another. It hadn't occurred to them to come up with a cover story. "She slipped," Tyler said after a moment. "She was carrying a knife and she slipped. She's not particularly coordinated, unfortunately. She usually has someone else cut stuff up for her, but tonight, no one was home. We all got back right after the incident happened."

"So the _three_ of you live with her?" the doctor asked, his eyebrow raising. "When did that happen?"

"She lives with _them_," Tyler said. "I just visit occasionally. Don't you know all this already?"

"Just procedure, Mr. Lockwood," The doctor said.

"Yeah?" Tyler said. "Well this _procedure_ is taking up time that could be used to save her life. Sometimes, there's only a few seconds between life and death."

The doctor nodded and turned to the men standing around the stretcher. "Take her to the OR," he said. "I want to see if we can do anything to save her."

As soon as he was gone, Tyler gave Damon and Stefan a look. "I'm a little worried," he said.

"Why?" Stefan asked. "Because the doctor made it painfully obvious that Selina is probably going to die unless we do some sort of intervention?"

"No," Tyler shook his head. "People around here think Selina's dead, remember? Do you think the doctor and surgeons are going to realize that she's the same girl who supposedly drowned awhile back?"

"It's possible," Damon said, "but we can influence them to forget if need be, can't we?"

While they were waiting on the results of Selina's surgery, Elena came by. "How're things looking?" she asked. "Do the doctors think Selina's going to make it without supernatural assistance?"

"They've got her in the OR right now," Stefan said as Elena sat next to him. "But the doctor on duty said it doesn't look good."

"At least as far as he knows," Damon said. "If surgery can't do anything for her, we're planning on rendering some supernatural assistance."

"You mean turning her into a vampire again?" Elena said quietly in case anyone was listening. "I wonder what effect that's going to have? I mean, Vicki acted insane after she got turned. Do you think Selina will be the same way since she's already been through it once?"

Stefan shrugged. "I don't know. To my knowledge, Selina's the first being to ever be human, then a vampire, then human again, so who knows what's going to happen once we have to change her over once more?"

"Who says you will?" Elena asked. "She could be recovering from surgery this very minute."

"That's a nice thought, Elena," Matthew said, appearing next to her and causing her to start. "But it's a bit optimistic, I'm afraid. She's lost too much blood to get out of here without supernatural assistance."

A few moments later, the doctors came in to the waiting room to give them the bad news. "Thank you," Damon said quietly. "Could we have a few moments alone with her to say goodbye?"

"Sure," the doctor nodded. "Just remember to keep it brief," he said. "Trying to get much out of her is pretty pointless at this stage."

Damon nodded. The doctor led the four of them into a hospital room where Selina lay in the bed, tucked in. Her eyes were closed. "I just barely made it through surgery," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

"No," Damon shook his head. "Not if I can help it." Tyler stepped forward. "Me either," he said. "We're going to keep you alive. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Selina gave a small nod.

"The question is then," Matthew said, "_how_ are we going to keep her alive?"

"What do you mean 'how?'" Tyler asked. "I think it's pretty obvious how. There aren't many ways."

"Remember what you were told," Jacob said, appearing next to Matthew and looking at Tyler. "Both you and Damon have the power to rescue Selina from death."

"You're saying that I can turn her into a werewolf just as easily as Damon can turn her into a vampire?" Tyler asked.

"Yes," Jacob nodded. "Normally, it's just genetics and murder that does the trick for transformation, but this," he looked sorrowfully at Selina, "is a special case. The bite will heal her wounds, and then, at the next full moon, she'll turn just like you and Mason do."

Tyler gazed at Selina, wincing at her almost cadaverous pallor and her very shallow breathing, then looked back up at Jacob and Matthew. "If you would have proposed that to me just weeks ago, I would have enthusiastically agreed to change her, but now, not so much. I liked the way things were. Why ruin a good thing?" He looked at Damon. "Do what you need to do," he said quietly. "I can't stand to see her like this anymore."

"Thank you," Damon said. He bent over Selina. "Are you ready?" he asked.

She managed a small smile and reached out her hand. He took it and squeezed.  
"I need something to cut myself with," he said. After some looking around, they managed to locate a scalpel which Damon drew across his wrist. Selina was almost too weak to move, so he held her head up and put his wrist to her mouth, gasping just slightly as she drank from him. After a few minutes, he lay her gently back down. "You know what we have to do now," he said heavily, looking around the room.

"What's that?" Tyler asked. "From the tone of your voice, I can tell it's not something good."

"No," Damon said. "It's not. Now that she has my blood in her system, we have to kill her to trigger the beginning of the change, and then she has to take someone else's blood to complete it."

"Are you serious?" Tyler asked. "Do we really have to kill her? Hasn't she been through enough?"

Matthew put a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "Damon's right, I'm afraid," he said. "There's no other way to handle the transformation. If you do nothing at all, she'll die, and be dead forever, but if put your feelings aside and kill her now, she'll return to you. It's your choice."

Tyler sighed. "How should we do it?" he asked, looking at Damon. "I mean, since it needs to be done anyway?"

"Wait just a minute," Elena broke in. "Are we seriously going to stand around talking about how to _murder_ Selina?"

"I think Dr. Stensrund did it with poison," Stefan said helpfully. "Do you think that would be easy to get around here?"

"Or," Tyler said, "if we wanted to keep things simple, we could just take one of the pillows out from underneath her head and suffocate her. She's barely conscious as it is. I don't think she'll feel anything."

"Hold on," Elena broke in, "can we stop this for a moment? Does anyone other than me see how barbaric this conversation is?"

Matthew was watching the monitor. "She's fading fast," he said. "Whatever we do, we've got to do it _quickly._"

"Turn the shower on," Tyler said. "Then we can carry her over and drown her."

"No," Damon shook his head. "She'll suffer that way. Quick and painless is the way to go."

Matthew's voice became steely and sharp. "You four leave the room," he ordered Elena, Tyler, Stefan and Damon. "This is obviously a very difficult decision for you to make, and it warms my heart that you don't want to kill my daughter. But it needs to be done. I've already shot my wife to save her. It shouldn't be much different to kill my daughter." They watched him produce a dueling pistol with elaborate silver scrolling from out of nowhere. He held it up. "I want you to go now," he told them, his voice tight with control. "You'll know when it's safe to come back."

They did as he asked and a few seconds later, they heard the shot ring out. It seemed to shake the whole hospital and at first, they had no idea how they were going to explain it to any of the hospital staff who they knew would come by to investigate. Then, they remembered they had compulsion for cases like that.

"It's done," Matthew said as they entered the room, his voice slightly shaky. "She's dead. Now all that's left is to wait."

A moment later, a nurse entered the room, just as they had all expected. "What was that noise?" she said to them. "What happened in here?"

Damon strode over to her and looked her in the eyes. "Nothing happened in here. You didn't hear a thing. And tell anyone else who asks that all is well here." The nurse nodded and left the room. As soon as she was gone, Selina opened her eyes. "Hello," she said. "What happened?"

"Things have returned to normal," Damon said, smiling. "How do you feel?"

"What do you mean?" Selina asked.

"You're a vampire again," Tyler said.

Selina's eyes widened. "No wonder I'm so hungry," she said.

"Just be patient," Stefan told her. "We'll get you something in a minute. What do you remember?"

"We were fighting with Katherine, weren't we?" Selina asked. "She wanted to get Stella's necklace and you wouldn't let her," she continued, looking at Tyler. "Then, she threw something sharp and I knew that it would hurt you, so I tried to stop it."

"It was a knife," Tyler said. "It got you right near your heart. The doctors told us you lost a lot of blood. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Selina nodded. "What's family for?"

Tyler sat next to her on the bed. "Your father said you need blood to finish your transformation. Take mine; it's the least I can do after what you did for me."

Selina looked at him for a moment. "Thank you," she said. "But it might not be safe. I could lose control and kill you. Do you even realize what you're offering?"

"I do," Tyler nodded. "And it's what I want, I promise."

Damon took the scalpel in hand again, and a little plastic cup from the bathroom down the hall. "Cut yourself and fill up the cup," he said. "That way, you can help her and she won't have to worry about losing control because her supply won't be unlimited."

Tyler took hold of the scalpel and cut himself on the arm, watching in horrified fascination as the blood trickled into the cup. When he'd gotten all he could, he handed the cup to Selina. "Here," he said wryly, wincing. "You enjoy."

"I will," Selina smiled and gulped it down. Once it was gone, she handed Damon the cup. "That's better," she said.

"You seem almost normal," said Tyler in surprise.

"I _feel_ almost normal," Selina agreed. She looked at Jacob. "Any way to account for that?"

He shrugged. "Maybe the change was easier because this is your second transformation. Your body knows what it needs to do and you've learned how to control bloodlust before."

Selina nodded. "But maybe I should keep a low profile anyway, just in case I'm still a little unstable."

"That's a good idea," Damon nodded. He looked at Tyler and Stefan. "Would you two stay here and watch her? I have a little errand to run."

"What errand?" Selina asked.

"Mason needs to be taken care of," Damon said simply.

"And by 'taken care of' you mean killed, right?" Selina asked.

"Of course," Damon nodded. "Think about all he did to you. Do you think I'm just going to let that go?"

"No," Selina said. "But since _I'm_ the victim, don't you think it be fairer to let _me_ deal with him?"

Damon gazed at her for a moment, said nothing, then stalked out of the room.

"Men," Selina breathed as she watched after his retreating back.

* * *

Damon left the hospital, got in his car, and drove back to the lake house. He parked in the driveway and strode up the front steps, knocking on the front door. After a few minutes, it opened. "What do you want?" Mason asked.

"Let me in," Damon snapped.

"Is Selina okay?" Mason asked as he stepped aside to allow Damon entrance.

"Yeah," Damon nodded. "She's fine, no thanks to you. Katherine's fun with knives made her lose a lot of blood. If I hadn't turned her, she would have been dead for good."

"But she's all right?" Mason repeated.

Damon nodded again. "Do you have any idea how much I hate you?"

"I think I have some idea, yes," Mason said wryly. "But then again, I'm not the first, am I? That was Grandfather Michael. He wrote how obsessed with her you were. A normal person would let the girl he loves have a little romantic leeway, but you just couldn't, could you?"

Damon let out a humorless laugh. "Allowing Selina to express romantic interest in her cousin is hardly romantic leeway. It's practically incest. And Michael calling _me _obsessed is the pot calling the kettle black."

"So Selina's a vampire again?" Mason asked carefully.

"Of course," Damon said. "Tyler's more sensible than you are and was wise enough to step aside."

Mason stood up and strode toward the door, grabbing his keys along the way. "That's a mistake that won't be made twice," he said. Damon was about to follow when he remembered the possible ramifications of going after Mason: the full moon was still out, and if Mason bit him while transformed, he would be killed, and then Selina would definitely be in trouble.

"All right," he said carefully. "Do you want to come to the hospital and see her?" Damon asked. "Or can you leave here at all?"

"I could leave here, but it wouldn't be wise," Mason said.

Just then, Damon's cell phone rang. "Hello?" he said.

"We got Selina out of the hospital," Stefan told him. "Should we take her back to the boardinghouse?"

"No," Damon said. "Bring her back to the lake house. I promised Mason he could see her."

"All right," Stefan said, sounding doubtful. "We'll be there in a few minutes."

"Who was that?" Mason asked as Damon ended the call.

"It was my brother," Damon said. "He said they got Selina out of the hospital. I told them to bring her here so you could see her."

"Thanks," Mason said. "That's good of you."

Damon rolled his eyes. When he heard the sound of Stefan's car coming up the driveway, he stood up and went to meet it. "Was it hard to get here?" he asked.

"No," Stefan shook his head. "But I'm not sure it's a good idea to let Selina out."

Damon looked up at the moon. "My God, seriously?"

"I think so," Stefan nodded.

"I'm fine," Selina snapped. "Let me out of here already. There are laws against false imprisonment, you know."

"Fine," Stefan opened the door and Selina dropped neatly to the ground, running up the steps. "Hello, Mason," she said when she saw him. "Did you miss me?"

"Sure did," Mason nodded. "I'm so glad you're okay. I didn't mean for anything bad to happen to you, I _swear_." He paused. "What's wrong?" her gaze had lit on his neck and wasn't moving. "You have blood on your neck," she said, mesmerized. "Nice, red blood, just trickling down…" before anyone could move to stop her, she jumped him, throwing him to the ground, and slurping from the flowing open gash she made on his neck. As soon as she was finished with him, she looked up guiltily at Damon. "Sorry," she said, her mouth covered in Mason's blood. "I know how much you wanted to kill him."

"It's all right," Damon said. "Let's just get you home, all right?"

The three of them left the lake house. Stefan called the police to tell them about Mason's body, then they took their cars and drove back to the boardinghouse.

"Oh, my God," Selina said as soon as she'd crossed the threshold. "I just remembered: Katherine got a hold of Stella's necklace when I was out of it, didn't she?"

"Yep," Stefan nodded, indicating a note on the coffee table. It read _Catch me if you can. K. _"It looks like she's not going to surrender it voluntarily either."

"Poor Stella," Selina said. "Her spirit's probably going to be really confused if she uses the necklace to communicate with _me_ and now Katherine has it."

"Oh, if she were confused, it would be more than just her spirit," Damon said. "And I'm pretty sure she already knows."

"What do you mean?" Selina asked.

"Remember how when we had the séance on your birthday the person we contacted was Stella's brother, not Stella herself?" Damon asked. "Did you ever wonder why that was?"

"No, but I'm starting to," Selina said. "Why couldn't we contact Stella?"

Damon pulled out his phone. "Stella's not dead. If you want to contact her, you could give her a call."

"_What?"_ Selina asked in surprise. "She's alive, she has a phone number, and you have it? Why didn't you tell me? You told me she and her husband got sick and died!"

"They did," Damon nodded. "But they didn't _stay_ dead."

"Are they vampires?" Stefan asked.

"Yes," Damon nodded. "Why do you think Father was so against them in 1864? Because there were some on his family tree that he didn't want anyone to know about."

"Oh, my God," Stefan breathed, sitting heavily on the loveseat. "I don't believe this."

"Do you think Stella will be mad at us for letting Katherine get a hold of the necklace?" Selina asked. "Do you think she'll come back here and try to get revenge?"

Damon took Selina's hand. "I have a feeling she'll want revenge," he said. "But not on us."

* * *

Before she went to bed, Katherine put Stella's necklace on. "I've won," she whispered. "You can do nothing to me now." She climbed under the covers and shut her eyes.

_The night was dark and stormy. Thunder crashed, and rain fell, flooding the roads and making walking and running difficult. Her skirts were soaked, but she had to keep running. If she stopped for a second, the beast would catch up to her. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a black panther with bright blue eyes leapt toward her, pinning her to the ground. Once she was unable to move, the panther transformed into a beautiful young woman. "Hello, Katerina Petrova," she said. "I'm certain you aren't as happy to see me as I am to see you."_

"_What do you want?" Katherine asked. "Why are you doing this to me, Stella?"_

"_That should be obvious to you," Stella Salvatore said. "You betrayed me five-hundred years ago, and there is no way to make up for that betrayal except your own death."_

"_But we were friends once," Katherine said. "Don't you remember that?"_

_Stella snarled and punched Katherine in the face, causing blood to spurt from her nostrils. "About as well as you remembered it when you allowed my grandmother to kidnap me and then stole and transformed my husband and corrupted and turned my brother-in-law." At that moment, thunder boomed and lightning flashed, illuminating Stella's face, her expression of hatred very, very obvious. "Enough of this," she snapped, grabbing a tree branch that was near her. She held it over Katherine's rapidly struggling body. "Goodbye, Katerina Petrova." And with an expression of ecstasy, she plunged the branch into Katherine's heart._

And with one last flash of thunder, Katherine woke up, screaming.

A/n- end of part three: Next up, Lady in Red 4: Sinners and Saints: Two strangers come to Mystic Falls, bringing with them secrets, some of which are best left buried…


End file.
